Compliance with the law: interaction between legal and moral aspects

Introduction. A formal legal understanding of compliance with legal norms as a result of state coercion is increasingly proving insufficient to ensure effective legal regulation and stability of the legal order. Of particular importance is the study of the interaction between the legal and moral aspects of compliance with the law in the context of the establishment of the principle of the rule of law, which requires not only formal legality, but also the conformity of legal norms and practices with the fundamental values of justice, freedom, and human dignity. Purpose of the article. To study law enforcement as a form of law implementation in the context of the interaction between legal and moral factors. Results. The essence of law enforcement lies in inaction (passive behavior), i.e., refraining from actions that are prohibited by legal norms. The use of legal coercion performs an important protective function in the process of law enforcement. Lawful behavior based solely on fear of sanctions will lose its effectiveness in the absence of sanctions. It is argued that a person who is free, adequate, reasonable, and fair will comply with the relevant legal norms regardless of the threat of coercion. In this case, compliance with the law appears not only as a passive form of lawful behavior, but as a voluntary internal acceptance of legal requirements that corresponds to a person’s moral ideas about what is fair and proper. The moral dimension of compliance with the law is particularly evident in the categories of good faith, responsibility, and legal culture, which are also considered key factors in the stability of the legal order in Ukrainian doctrine. Legal literature emphasizes that legal norms whose content is based on or at least does not contradict traditional moral and religious postulates are implemented more effectively in the appropriate form, including through compliance with prohibitions, which in this case will no longer be perceived as restrictions on personal freedom due to the internal conviction of the need for such norms to ensure the progressive development of society and its institutions. Conclusions. Compliance with the law is appropriately considered as a valuedriven form of law enforcement, in which legal coercion is balanced by the internal moral conviction of subjects in the necessity of lawful behavior. It is precisely this unity of the legal and the moral that corresponds to the modern understanding of the rule of law and ensures the stability of the legal order and the real effect of the law. Compliance with the law as a voluntary form of lawful behavior is based on an awareness of the social value of the law, recognition of its fairness and moral legitimacy. Keywords: compliance with the law, law enforcement, legal coercion, morality, lawful behavior.