Course:Law3020/2014WT1/Group E/Liberty-Paternalism

Liberty-Paternalism

Liberty

Personal liberty is presumed to be free from legal restrictions. However, liberty must be balanced against competing interests. Therefore, questions arise as to when and why, should the law interfere with liberty and when is this interference with liberty justified.

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There are four possible justifications for the law’s restriction on liberty, the harm principle, paternalism, legal moralism and the offence principle. The harm principle states that liberty should be restricted to prevent serious harm to others. John Stuart Mill argues this to be the only legitimate justification for law restricting liberty. Paternalism justifies the law’s restriction on liberty in order to protect individuals’ autonomy from harm due to the exercise of their own liberty upon themselves. Mill rejects this justification except in the case of children and those without mature faculties. Legal moralism states liberty should only be restricted to ensure individuals’ actions do not undermine society’s morals or values. The offence principle justifies restricting liberty to ensure individuals do not offend other members of society.

According to Mill, society needs authority to prevent violent anarchy. However, authority itself must be limited and controlled. Mills contends authority can be limited through liberty. Certain liberties or rights such as political ones are recognized as being immune from government authority. Thus authority is limited in the sense that it cannot invade this liberty. Also, liberty provides constitutional checks on government authority as well as gives authority, temporarily, to the government through election. Mills is careful to note that the problem of tyranny may arise. The government is elected by the majority therefore has majority support and has the ability because of this support to limit minority liberties.

Paternalism

Paternalism expands on liberty and justifies its restriction to prevent harm to one’s own autonomy. Paternalism attempts to protect the individual from harm they make cause to themselves through the exercise of their liberty. Paternalism is not concerned with harm to others but harm to oneself. Mill rejects this and argues instead each individual is the best judge for him or herself.

Autonomy is viewed as the core of independence at the centre of being a human being. According to Mill, paternalism denies this independence in a way that essential denies them their essential humanity. However, Gerald Dworkin contends individuals are not always the best judges for themselves; individuals make irrational choices such as when under extreme psychological pressure. In these situations the exercise of liberty will have the impact of long-term irreversible damage to their autonomy. Therefore in these situations it is necessary to restrict their liberty in order to prevent harm to their autonomy.

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Application to K.L.B. v. B.C.

Liberty

The negligence law restricts individual choice by requiring a certain level of conduct from the Minister, social workers, and foster parents. Therefore, the negligence laws restrict liberty and must be justified. Mills would find this restriction on liberty to be justified through the harm principle. The negligence law requires these individuals because of the duty of care that arises, to conduct themselves in reasonable ways to avoid harm to the children under their care. This restriction on liberty can also be justified by legal moralism. Legal moralism would find society values protecting children from abuse and harm and in order to achieve this value restrictions must be placed on the liberty of those charged with caring for these children. Therefore, the restriction on liberty is justified in order to ensure these individuals’ actions do not undermine society’s value in protecting children.

The Protection of Children Act also restricts the liberty of the Minister and the social workers. The act actually restricts liberty more than the negligence law. The act requires the Minister and social workers to follow the specific requirements in the act. Whereas the negligence law provides a general principle that a duty of care is owed and does not require certain specific actions from the Minister and social workers, It allows the Minister and social workers to determine what is reasonable themselves. Therefore, negligence law although restricts liberty it does so in a way that allows the individual to still exercise some liberty in their conduct. Mill would find this restriction on liberty to be justified due to its purpose of preventing harm to the children, thus it is valid under the harm principle. Legal moralism would also find this restriction to be justified since society values protecting children from harm from those responsible for them.

Mill would also acknowledge that problems with tyranny of the majority do not arise here. The negligence law and Protection of Children Act can be seen as laws that were not created by the majority for the purpose of suppressing the minority. Rather the entire community would agree with the enactment of these laws. Even though the Protection of Children Act specifically applies to the Minister and social workers the negligence law applies to all individuals caring for children. Therefore, in a way the laws restrict everyone liberty rather than just the minority’s liberties.

The Limitations Act restricts the liberty of the children involved in this case. The act specifies that an action must be brought within a certain period of time. This restriction on liberty can be justified by reference to the harm principle. Specifically the restriction on liberty acts to protect accused individuals from harm from litigation for wrongs conducted many years prior. Thus, the restriction protects them from stigma and grave consequences of criminal prosecution.

Paternalism

Paternalism would not find the restriction on liberty created by the negligence law and Protection of Children Act to be justified. These laws do not aim to directly prevent harm to one’s autonomy. Also, these laws cannot be characterized as weaker paternalism since they are not aimed at indirectly preventing harm to one’s autonomy. The main purpose of these laws is to prevent harm to others through the exercise of liberty by the Minister, social workers and foster parents.

The Limitation Act also restricts liberty. Paternalism would find this restriction on liberty to be justified. The Limitation Act by limiting when the children can bring an action prevents harm to their autonomy. Dworkin would find the children to not be the best judges of themselves. The children have been subjected to abuse, which would affect their ability to make rational decisions when it comes to bringing an action. The irrational choice to bring litigation many years after the event would cause the children to suffer through reliving the abuse and this could have the effect of causing serious irreversible and destructive damage to their autonomy. Although, the children in this case saw this restriction as frustrating their choices, Dworkin would argue because of the damage to their autonomy the restriction is necessary. After balancing the impact on autonomy against the potential for damaging autonomy, Dworkin would find this restriction to minimally impair. The children, by exercising their liberty, in bringing an action could cause serious damage to their autonomy and Dworkin would find this concern to outweigh the impact the restriction has on their autonomy.