Legalization: Difference between revisions
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'''Legalization''' is the process of removing a [[law|legal]] prohibition against something which is currently [[illegal]]. |
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Legalization is a process often applied to what are now regarded as [[victimless crime]]s, such as [[homosexuality]], or the consumption of [[illegal drug]]s. It should be contrasted with [[decriminalization]], which removes criminal charges from an offence but still has laws and regulations on it. |
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It can also occur without political upheaval in the [[repeal]] of ancient and irrelevant laws. |
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In [[international law]], legalization is the process of certifying a document so that it will be recognized by the legal system of a foreign country. The procedure for legalizing a foreign document varies from country to country: the [[Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents]] has supplanted this procedure with the use of the [[apostille]] in countries that are signatories to that convention. |
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Those that favor legalization believe that fewer laws give more freedom to citizens. Too many laws can threaten personal freedoms and human rights. They cause overcrowded prison systems, police attenion diverted away from more serious crimes, and higher taxes, borrowed money ([[bond]]s) and fines to pay for increased law enforcement, more trials, and food and medical support for criminals in prison. During [[Prohibition]] of alcohol, many otherwise innocent people were punished for possession of alcohol. A government that passes a law that makes a common action (such as drinking alcohol) illegal risks revolt of the people when millions of people are placed in prison or fined. Crowded prisons cause shorter prison time for serious criminals. For example, in the [[United States]], murderers are sentenced 20 years to life, but only serve 7 years of real time in the U.S., due to prison overcrowding caused by a prison population doubled with drug offenders. |
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Proponents of [[libertarianism]] support legalization of [[victimless crime]]s. |
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In [[video]] engineering, "legalization" can refer to the process of applying constraints on a video signal to keep it within the limits required for broadcast. |
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=== See also === |
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*[[Arguments for and against drug prohibition]] |
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*[[Repeal]] |
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[[de:Legalisierung]] |
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Revision as of 00:37, 21 April 2006
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