“Law and order” is one of those phrases that feels unquestionably good. Who wouldn’t want a society governed by rules, protected from chaos and crime? It’s a favourite slogan of politicians and pundits, often rolled out as a reassuring promise of safety and stability. But like many concepts presented as inherently virtuous, law and order deserves a more critical look.

Behind its comforting exterior lies a complex and often troubling reality — one that disproportionately affects marginalised communities, fosters fear, and can stifle the very freedoms it claims to protect.

1. Policing vs Protection

A law-and-order approach often conflates public safety with aggressive policing. In practice, this can mean over-policing in poor or racialised communities, leading to constant surveillance, unnecessary stops, and even violent encounters. For some, police presence signals safety. For others, it signals danger. Law and order, then, is not universally experienced as protective — it can be a source of ongoing stress and trauma.

2. Punishment Over Prevention

The rhetoric of law and order tends to favour punishment over prevention. Rather than addressing the root causes of crime — poverty, mental health, addiction, housing instability — resources are funnelled into incarceration and enforcement. This punitive mindset treats symptoms instead of causes, cycling individuals through the criminal justice system without offering a way out.

3. Criminalising Difference

When “order” is defined by the norms of the dominant culture, anyone who lives differently can become a target. Homelessness, neurodivergence, protest, even poverty itself, can be criminalised under the guise of preserving order. Law and order becomes a weapon of conformity, rather than a shield for pluralism.

4. Eroding Civil Liberties

In the name of law and order, governments may expand surveillance powers, limit protests, or restrict freedom of movement. These measures are often justified as necessary for security, but they chip away at the civil liberties that underpin true democracy. A society obsessed with control risks losing sight of freedom altogether.

5. Fueling Fear, Not Trust

The more we hear about law and order, the more we’re conditioned to see the world as dangerous — a place where people are out to get us, and where control must be constantly asserted. This fuels division, suspicion, and mistrust. Instead of building safe, cohesive communities, the focus on control creates fragmented ones.

Rethinking What We Value

What if instead of "law and order," we prioritised justice and care? What if we saw safety as something created through relationships, trust, and meeting basic needs — not just through enforcement and control?

Law and order may have a role in society, but when we elevate it as an unquestionable good, we risk justifying systems that harm more than they help. It’s time to ask: Safe for whom? Order for what purpose? And most importantly, at what cost?