Applying appropriate law

Description

Applying appropriate law involves the deliberate selection and enforcement of legal measures tailored to address specific issues or disputes. This strategy ensures that relevant statutes, regulations, or legal precedents are utilized to resolve conflicts, protect rights, and uphold justice. By matching legal remedies to particular problems, it provides a structured framework for accountability, deters harmful behavior, and facilitates fair outcomes, thereby contributing to social order and the effective resolution of grievances.

Implementation

Whilst the Belgian law on drugs has not been changed, the way it is applied was varied in 1998. Anyone caught by police with a small amount of hashish or marijuana for "personal use" will have to give their name but will not face a fine or prison sentence. While the possession of soft drugs remains illegal, police and courts have put it at the bottom of their list of priorities. Their efforts are going into apprehending and prosecuting suppliers of drugs.