Line #74 Main/LegalizedEvil


1	[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/legalized_evil1.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:[[FridgeLogic "Wait, but if they're legal now, can you still call them crimes?"]]]]
3
4	->''"Once something has been approved by the government, it's no longer immoral!"''
5	-->-- '''Reverend Lovejoy''', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''
6
7	In most societies, there are [[CourtroomIndex rules and laws to enforce and maintain proper behaviors]]. There are [[CodeOfHonour ethics and codes of conduct]] that are considered acceptable and those that are not. Murder isn't just morally wrong, it's against the law, and any just society's legal system will come after you if you try it.
8
9	However, what happens when something contemptible is considered legal by a society's ruling authority? What happens when evil people have the law on their side, or at least, their immoral deeds aren't unlawful? What happens when acts of immorality have legal backing and legitimacy? What if the legislative body decrees that arson is permitted on second Tuesdays, people named Bob are given two free passes for murder, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking no cop is allowed to write tickets for jaywalking]]?
10
11	Legalized Evil is a situation where an evil or moral wrong is actively overlooked and permitted by the law of the land of a setting. ValuesDissonance may be in play, but the trope requires that the characters in a setting ''acknowledge the acts that are legalized are morally wrong or improper'' [[EveryoneHasStandards even by their own standards]]. Often this trope occurs in authoritarian settings where a form of AnarchoTyranny is in place, or societies where DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans or DespotismJustifiesTheMeans under a corrupt authority. In a CrapsackWorld where this trope is seen as a "good thing", expect it to be the LesserOfTwoEvils in comparison to some form of complete societal collapse.
12
13	Often the purpose of the trope is ToCreateAPlaygroundForEvil, which is similar but does not require a ruler, as well as OutlawTown and TotalitarianGangsterism, which are often side-effects of this trope coming into place when immoral figures become the ruling authority over otherwise morally superior masses. Also a possible factor in ViceCity and WretchedHive, where the majority in the setting are evil and happy to get away with it. AristocratsAreEvil may be in play if the setting is a monarchy, or CorruptCorporateExecutive in a capitalist setting. There will be extra trouble if the laws can be written by someone who says ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem!
14
15	Anyone who is LawfulEvil will be able to use this to their great advantage, maybe with the help of an AmoralAttorney. Someone who believes in HonorBeforeReason will follow the laws and do evil, though maybe JustFollowingOrders. More morally aligned people may have CuriousQualmsOfConscience, debate whether ToBeLawfulOrGood, and hopefully decide to say ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight. Someone who disapproves of a lawful action may observe, "ThereShouldBeALaw!" The things even evil lawmakers make illegal fall under EvenEvilHasStandards.
16
17	The story often ends in the good guys achieving JusticeByOtherLegalMeans, finding an alternate way the villains can be busted within the legal system itself.
18
19	May overlap with LoonyLaws.
20
21	If the majority in the setting doesn't see the actions in question as evil, that's ValuesDissonance or BlueAndOrangeMorality. If an evil deed is legal only on a technicality, rather than specifically permitted, that's just regular LoopholeAbuse.
22
23	'''[[AC:Compare and Contrast:]]'''
24	* TheBadGuysAreCops: The laws might not be evil, but law enforcement is.
25	* InherentInTheSystem: Evil isn't the goal of the system, but is still necessary for it to function.
26	* NotIllegalJustification: The laws neglected to account for a particular taboo act.
27	* OffOnATechnicality: The evil deed is illegal, but the perpetrator is able to exploit a fluke in the legal system to get away with it.
28
29	Due to the obvious risk of FlameBait and Edit Wars, '''Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease''' We'll just observe that people do sometimes consider this TruthInTelevision and leave it at that.
30
31	----
32	!!Examples:
33
34	[[foldercontrol]]
35
36	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
37	* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': Demon King Piccolo escapes from his prison and proceeds to TakeOverTheWorld after regaining his youth and sending his minions out to murder every fighter who might be able to oppose him. As his first act as ruler, he decides to abolish all laws preventing conventional wrongdoings and encourages people to fight and kill each other while he remains in charge, enjoying the chaos he has unleashed.
38	* In ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'', this is the argument Kasane Kujiragi uses to justify her [[spoiler:trafficking Celty]]. She explains to [[spoiler:Shizuo]] that [[spoiler:a dullahan]] is not legally considered a person or a protected species, so she's doing nothing wrong in the eyes of the law by [[spoiler:capturing and selling off his friend to Seitarou]].
39	* In ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'', the titular heroine must square off against Kodachi Kuno in a girls' rhythmic gymnastics match. Combatants are not allowed to attack each other directly; the object is to use "tools" to vanquish an opponent. Tools include small clubs, a ball, a hoop, and a ribbon on a stick. Kodachi's tools are modified with sharp edges and other nasty hazards for lethal effect, which the referee actually allows. Even a kettle of hot water (as long as it was snagged with the ribbon) and someone fished from the audience qualifies tools.
40	-->'''Akane:''' Is that even legal?\
41	'''Referee:''' It's okay, as long as she uses the tools.
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder:Comic Books]]
45	* In ''[[ComicBook/BuckGodotZapGunForHire Buck Godot]]'', there's only one Law on New Hong Kong: "There is no Law on New Hong Kong." As such, absolutely ''anything'' goes when it comes to committing crimes, and there will never be any legal reprisal because there's no police, prison system, or criminal court. However, there's also no law against vigilante justice (including of the preemptive variety), carrying heavy weapons at all times, and doing anything you like to that guy who just looked at you funny. And since every citizen of the planet is fully aware of all of this, what could have been anarchy has very nearly become the model example of "A universally-armed society is a polite society." Or rather, the ''citizens'' have adjusted. Tourists are advised to step very, very carefully - just because there are no ''laws'', that does not mean there are no ''rules''.
46	* ''Franchise/TheDCU'' has more than a few:
47	** The antimatter universe of Qward in ''Franchise/GreenLantern'' lives by this trope, though it's less "crime" and more "[[CardCarryingVillain evil]]" that's legal (though one of [[TokenHeroicOrc Telle-Teg's friends]] said their group was persecuted as criminals for refusing to steal).
48	** The Kryptonian island of Bokos in ''World's Finest Comics'' number 191 not only legalizes crimes, but ''outlaws'' honest acts like returning stolen money and refusing to help thieves, which are punishable by [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment jetpack exile]], as in the opposite of [[{{Prison}} our way of punishing crimes]].
49	* WesternAnimation/{{Pete}}'s township of Villainburgh in the ScienceFantasy ComicBook/DisneyMouseAndDuckComics miniseries ''Donald Quest'' only punishes you for crimes if you get ''caught''.
50	-->'''Dewey Duck:''' We're in hot water for ''not'' having stolen the hammer! How crazy is ''that?''
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Fan Works]]
54	* Played with in ''Fanfic/ThisBites''. The pirate haven of [[spoiler:Skelter Bite, the remains of Thriller Bark appropriated and rebuilt by Lola after Moria's defeat]] has "Pirate Justice" as its reigning rule, which is basically controlled chaos: the crimes are legal, but not without consequence. For example, arson is legal... as long as you're willing to help in the repairs. Murder is legal... as long as the victim is of a more unpleasant sort. Theft is legal... as long as you don't get caught. Brawling is legal... as long as you mitigate the property damage. And in general, the more trouble it causes on a widespread scale, the worse the punishment.
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
58	* ''Film/ThePhantomMenace''. This is why the Trade Federation are desperately trying to keep the invasion of Naboo a ClosedCircle, as it's very much ''not'' legalized and would get them thrashed if word got out. Instead, they're trying to force the Queen to sign a document legalizing the invasion, [[ObstructiveBureaucrat bogging down any retaliation in so much diplomatic red tape]].
59	* In ''Film/ThePurgeUniverse'', a sinister group called the "New Founding Fathers" have taken over the United States and established an annual nationwide event where most crime, up to and including first-degree murder, are legal for a 12-hour period while emergency services are illegal (or enjoying the purge). This began as a way to [[KillThePoor persecute the homeless and other vulnerable people]] and to maintain their grip on power by terrorizing everyone else. Naturally, The Founding Fathers and their allies are still protected by the law under the purge and are guarded by armies of security personnel. In the third film, they allow Purgers to kill elected officials and nominees in order to publicly assassinate an opposing presidential candidate. [[KarmicDeath This bites them in the ass when the resistance unleashes their decades-long plans to purge the upper ranks legally]]. In the fifth film, they succeed at destroying America [[HoistByHisOwnPetard but are subsequently (and permanently) ruined by the lawless hellhole they created]].
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Literature]]
63	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
64	** Downplayed when it comes to theft. Though the ruling authorities dislike it, the city of Ankh-Morpork ''sorta'' legalized thievery, but only for members of the ThievesGuild, who have limits on how many robberies, muggings, etc. they can do in a year, and each victim gets a receipt and is entitled to go a certain amount of time until they get robbed again by the Guild. Unlicensed thieves are still illegal, and probably pray that the police catch them instead of the Thieves' Guild, since the Guild is murderously protective of their privilege to commit theft with permission under the law.
65	** Unseen University takes a similar attitude to [[InsistentTerminology Post-Mortem Communications]]. It's accepted as inevitable that someone will be practicing necromancy, so the best way of dealing with it is to have it done officially by someone who can keep it at an acceptable level and enforce the monopoly against anyone doing it unofficially. With fireballs, if necessary.
66	** The Assassin's Guild is also legal, and they pride themselves on the "service" their members provide. They go so far as to engage in InsistentTerminology, calling what they do "inhuming" instead of "murder". They also pride themselves on certain professional standards, such as not accepting contracts on anyone who can't defend themselves (or at least are rich enough to be able to afford bodyguards, whether they actually employ them or not).
67	* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', when the [[spoiler:Death Eaters gain control of the Ministry of Magic late in the series]], they legalize casting dark magic, such as the Unforgivable Curses, for everyone.
68	* ''Literature/RecordOfLodossWarTheCrownOfTheCovenant'': {{Deconstructed}}. Marmo prides itself on being a nation of laws above all else, and is the only place on Lodoss where the cult of Falaris, traditionally considered DarkIsEvil, is legal. However, the overweening rule of law has allowed it to maintain harmony despite its diversity: the law applies equally to everybody, meaning that followers of Falaris are allowed to practice their religion but not at the expense of any other citizen.
69	[[/folder]]
70
71	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
72	* ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'': On Pierpont Drift, Doge Miskich legalized theft, but only for citizens of Pierpont. Which means it's legal for a local to steal from a tourist, but a crime for a tourist to steal their property back. But even for citizens, stealing from the Doge is a capitol offense.
73	* Egghead pulls this off for a time in the ''Series/Batman1966'' episode "The Egg Foes in Gotham". After [[ItMakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext gaining control of the city due to preventing the descendants of the town founders from giving nine raccoon pelts to the Last of the Mohicans]], he kicks Batman and Robin out on pain of execution, and declares that any gangster or villain he likes has ''carte blanche'' to do whatever they want in Gotham, with PoliceAreUseless being enshrined in Egghead's law. It ends when Batman declares MyRuleFuIsStrongerThanYours, having found a loophole that said that anyone [[ObviousRulePatch of questionable moral character was disqualified from taking advantage of the whole raccoon-pelt business.]]
74	* In ''Series/{{Gotham}}'', this is the central plot of "[[Recap/GothamS4E1PaxPenguina Pax Penguina]]", where Penguin's solution to restoring order to Gotham is to reduce crime by legalizing it. This "Pax Penguina" system dictates that criminals who carried a Licence of Misconduct, were able to commit crimes and be exempt from being investigated or arrested by the GCPD.
75	* The whole premise of ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' is about a group of (ex-)thieves going after corrupt, rich and powerful corporations/public figures screwing over their customers/clients within their legal policies and the law. So who better to expose them than a group of people without regards for following the rules?
76	-->''"Sometimes bad guys make the best good guys."''
77	* In ''Series/ThePurge2018'', like [[Film/ThePurgeUniverse the film series from which it derives]], all crime is legal one night every year, but on the other hand, FelonyMisdemeanor applies for the other 364 days to compensate. Many death sentences are thrown around liberally for crimes that would normally not warrant them.
78	* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
79	** In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E21TheReturnOfTheArchons The Return of the Archons]]", the brainwashed inhabitants of the planet Beta III are usually [[StepfordSmiler perfectly peaceful and orderly citizens]], but they have a regular event called "Festival" authorized by the planetary ruling authority in which the entire population suddenly erupts in a twelve-hour outburst of sex and violence they would not otherwise commit. It's not stated what function this serves their society, although the novelization suggests it may be a temporary outlet for their normally suppressed emotions and drives and/or a form of population control.
80	** In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, Cardassians could not only kill Bajorans with impunity under Cardassian military law, but take random Bajoran women as [[SexSlave "Comfort Women"]] and discard them at their leisure.
81	* ''Series/TheWatch2021'' is inspired by the ''Discworld'' novels and specifically the ''The Watch'' line with the city of Ankh-Morpork, so the same rules are in effect when it comes to there being various legalized guilds to commit crime. The Watch, rather than being an actual police force, is intended to regulate the various guilds, but the series is about them growing to become more than that.
82	* In one season of ''Series/TheWire'', senior police officer Major Colvin effectively turns a vacant section of the city into a place where drug-dealers can ply their trade without interference from his officers, effectively confining vice to the area to protect nearby communities. Played with in that this isn't the same as making it legal, and the rest of the police department crack down hard once they learn of Colvin's experiment.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
86	* ''TabletopGame/BlueRose'': The only law in Kern is that all citizens need to do their shifts in the Lich King's mines. He doesn't care in the least what they get up to the rest of the time, at long as they don't threaten his rule. There is an informal system of local community leaders trying to maintain some kind of order, but of course their ability to punish wrong-doers is limited.
87	* Any ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' setting that contains a largely LawfulEvil society is going to feature this. One of the best-known is the nation of Thay from ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'', where slavery and undeath are seen as foundational pillars of society and where even the average MadScientist would be seen as "too ethical". ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' also has several Darklands that are like this, though what evil is legalized varies between them.
88	* Demonstrated in ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'', Classic Adventure 3 ''Twilight's Peak''. Each year, the planet Rethe has a government holiday called Festival, during which all laws are suspended planetwide for three days. During that period, anyone can commit any crime they wish and not have to worry about being prosecuted after Festival ends.
89	* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': The forces of Chaos have only one rule: wreak fucking havoc in the name of the Chaos Gods. This usually results in an extreme collection of biowarfare, betrayal, mass-rape, and plain rampaging.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Video Games]]
93	* ''VideoGame/BleedingSun'': After taking over Hitoshima, Ichiro allows bandits to roam the Takenaka lands in order to slow down Yori in case he returns.
94	* In some civilizations of ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'', ethics settings could allow actions such as murder, theft and cannibalism to not only be lawful but even ''praised''. In the vanilla version, only treason is a crime among Goblins, all other horrid acts being permitted and accepted under Goblin law.
95	* In ''VideoGame/TheGuild 3'', it is possible to get into the government of your region and legalize the same ThievesGuild jobs that would have previously been risky to partake in. This was mercilessly exploited in a video by WebVideo/TheSpiffingBrit.
96	* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'': [[EvilOverlord Shao Kahn]] rules the realm of Outworld, being a BloodKnight warlord whose only law punishable if broken is "Obey Shao Kahn'', with everything else being fair game under his reign, whether he morally agrees with it or not. As such, war between various violent native races like the Shokan, Tarkatan and Centaurs is common as they fight for his favor.
97	* In the territory of the [[HollywoodSatanism Brotherhood of Cain]] in ''VideoGame/TheNewOrderLastDaysOFEurope'', all kind of depravity are legalized and even ''encouraged'' by [[ReligionOfEvil the Brotherhood leadership]].
98	* A major problem in Creator/ProjectMoon's verse is that most scummy or horrific acts are actually ''legal'' and there's no regulations preventing a [[MegaCorp Wing]] from torturing people and carrying out gruesome human experiments or a [[TheSyndicate Syndicate]] from killing hundreds for strange reasons. The only laws deemed punishable are relatively trivial offenses like not paying tax or filming within a certain Wing, which are invariably met with capital punishment.
99	* In Cirque Faerial of the ''VideoGame/TatteredWorld'', a remnant where TheFairFolk live, it is not only legal but socially normal and encouraged to commit what would in other remnants be crimes. The bearer of the role of Ringmaster is ''expected'' to be assassinated at some point.
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder:Web Animation]]
103	* How {{Hell}} is run in ''WebAnimation/HazbinHotel'', as Lucifer is theoretically in charge ([[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership because he can do horrible things to anyone who defies him]]) but the only laws canonically confirmed to exist are a ban on travel to the mortal realm not sanctioned for official business, upholding TheMasquerade while in the human world with disguises, and a trademark or copyright on the name of the "Lulu World" amusement park. All other acts typically deemed as immoral in Hell are permitted and not punished under Lucifer's law. Drugs are sold from vending machines, civilian ownership of fully automatic weapons is widespread, sexual deviancy is the norm, genocidal turf wars among the demon lords are an annual thing, and there's nothing anyone can do about fraud and other bad business practices. [[AmusingInjuries The upside is that sinners are immortal and can't die from most of the above]], [[spoiler:but the downside is that the genocidal hit squads from Heaven with immortal-killing weaponry are fully permitted and encouraged to open fire on anyone.]]
104	[[/folder]]
105
106	[[folder:Western Animation]]
107	* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'':
108	** Vilgax's first plan in ''Alien Force'' involved exploiting a Galactic law to legally conquer planets, where he issues a challenge to a planet's champion and upon victory would give him conquest of said planet that avoids a war. Of course after Ben defeats him the first time, he keeps coming back to illegally attack the Earth.
109	** Vulkanus uses a tonne of Taydenite to purchase the rights to terraform Earth to resemble his home planet (where according to Kevin, 850 degrees Fahrenheit is cool), complete with a legal document. Of course, the heroes still won't allow him to turn their planet into a molten wasteland.
110	** The Vreedle Brothers. As Repo Men, what they do is strictly speaking legal with certified documentation. Ben and Kevin have to actually contest their client in court to make them stand down.
111	* In the ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman'' episode "Feel-Good Story", it is revealed that billionaires are legally allowed to murder without consequence in America, allowing CorruptCorporateExecutive Jeremiah Whitewhale to murder a worker for [[DisproportionateRetribution taking too many bathroom breaks]]. Apparently, both major parties agreed on the bill without much issue.
112	* Demonstrated in the ''WesternAnimation/LoveDeathAndRobots'' world of the short "Pop Squad". Humanity has achieved immortality, which means the population can only increase, stretching resources thin and straining society as a whole. To this end, breeding has been outlawed by the worldwide governments and legalized hit squads are established to stamp out any occurrences of breeding (legalized homicide). The titular police squad's job is to hunt down those who have broken this law and [[spoiler: execute the resulting offspring.]]
113	* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'': Demonstrated in the episode [[Recap/ThePowerpuffGirlsS3E4BubblevisionBoughtAndScold "Bought and Scold"]], where SpoiledBrat Princess Morbucks convinces her dad to buy the entire city and make her mayor, and her only command is to declare that "Crime is Legal" (with a printed document for criminals to show off in the page image). Morbucks plunges the city into chaos purely to spite the Powerpuff Girls, who she threatens to throw in jail if they try and stop any criminals from doing any immoral acts they would otherwise be punished for. This bites Princess in the butt when ''she'' gets robbed and, as the girls note when they're summoned, there's nothing they can do since the theft ''was perfectly legal'', thus forcing Princess to re-illegalize crime to get her stuff back. [[spoiler:Turns out the girls themselves were the thieves in an effort to force Princess to change the law back and get the old mayor his job back]].
114	* In ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'', crime seems to be permitted on a planetary scale, considering how [[BigBad Aku]], ([[EvilOverlord the demonic king of Earth]]), runs his evil empire. Instead of a totalitarian regime where everything is strictly monitored and controlled, Aku allows the whole world to be consumed by an endless state of violence and warfare in which all sorts of villains, warlords, criminals, and monsters run rampant and terrorize innocent people as they please with full permission under his authority. Aku even has his minions escort new criminals to parts of Earth that are relatively peaceful to be destroyed once they arrive as government policy. The normal citizens of Aku's empire are either miserable and actively despise the way their society is run or just reached the DespairEventHorizon and don't have any care to change a way of life they acknowledge has been corrupt for millennia.
115	* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'': All the sadistic challenges Chris puts the contestants through are all technically legal due to them signing a contract. The one time he had a run-in with the law was due to using Wawanakwa as a dumping ground for toxic waste.
116	* The Guild of Calamitous Intent from ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' is essentially this, serving as a SuperRegistrationAct for villains. Other organizations like it exist, such as the Peril Partnership and the original incarnation of SPHINX, but the Guild is by far the largest one.
117	[[/folder]]

Context Main / LegalizedEvil