The functionality of law logically allows order to preside in society. By its rules not only are a country's people protected from harm by oneself or by another, both physically and materially, the environment in which they live in is also protected by both national and international laws, such as the Kyoto Protocol, protecting the environment from pollution and harm. Laws are also laid down to protect animals and wildlife under protected species laws that protect mostly endangered species. It is clear that the law tries in every aspect to protect both people and the environment in which they live in and inevitably affects them.
A rule of law cannot be complete, however, without punishment that further curbs anti-social behaviour. Almost all laws call for punishment when a crime has been committed. However, punishment varies from country to country with some believing in the utilitarian eye for an eye theory, while other governments prefer C. S. Lewis' humanitarian view on punishment. Either way, the purpose of punishment being a subset of the rule of law allows for retribution for the victims, deterrence as seen in the main purpose of capital punishment and reformation for the criminal. Any crime whether as mild as shoplifting or as severe as murder when convicted is definitely punishable by law.
From what has been said before, the use of the rule of law has been justified. However, such a general concept of law is only applicable to countries which are built by a stable and often democratic government. Laws of these characteristics are by the norm found in developed countries and secular communities where religion and tradition has no longer any pervasive effects. With regard to countries steeped in religion however, such as India and the Middle East countries, much of its laws are made based on their religions. Laws of such types are often extreme as in the case of Saudi Arabia where women are to be covered from head to toe and Taleban regimes which have banned televisions and all forms of modern electronic devices.
Such laws in the hands of fundamentalist rulers are seemingly negative in the pro-western part of the world. In such situations the use of the rule of law cannot seem to be justified, However, at the base of it all such laws are still meant to protect its people from the invasion of a secular society and a decadent social morality. It is in fact a sensitive issue, subject to different opinions and views on the use of laws.
Similarly, since the rise of feminism, there has been a general outcry over laws in less developed countries which do not protect women. In a number of Middle East countries, honour-killing has been overlooked and women are at the mercy of their fathers, brothers and husbands. An outburst of literature with regards to this issue from Jean Sassoon's Princess to Betty Mahmoody's Not Without My Daughter, has sparked a general outcry against such rules of law which are not in favour of women. However in these religion-based countries, their religion is in fact their law and is justified by their own beliefs and way of life, thus the rule of law has a purpose for them in order to maintain the morality of their women, although to other parts of the world there seems to be no use in their rule of law.
The use of the rule of law can also be questionable in the hands of corrupt governments and cases of absolute power. Many leaders, from Indonesia's president Abdurrahman Wahid to leaders of the past such as Lenin have tried to turn the law in their favour and thus making a mockery out of the rule of law and the judicial system. Such abuse of the law has resulted in national crisis and thus the functional purpose of the rule of law has not been of any use. Not only is the law abused by corrupt governments, the media also abuses the freedom provided by the law. The first amendment in the United States constitution which gives freedom of speech and freedom of the printed word has only propagated the media to abuse its power and has in fact been viewed as assisting terrorism by spreading propaganda and playing on the minds of people.
Therefore there are many different views and opinions as to what use is the rule of law. However, no nation can do without it and hence the world will have to contend with this necessary evil for both its bad and its good.