proverb · Words worth keeping
Law makers should not be law breakers.
Law makers should not be law breakers.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
People who establish rules should be accountable to the standards they ask others to follow. The saying challenges a double standard, without deciding any particular legal case or assuming that every rule is fair simply because someone made it.
Example
A team leader who sets a submission deadline follows it for their own work or explains the same extension process that other members can request.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The maker and breaker are deliberately placed together. The proverb points to the inconsistency of requiring conduct from others while claiming permission to ignore the same requirement oneself. A useful reading examines both the rule and its application. A rule may need revision, and there can be openly stated differences in responsibility, but convenience alone does not explain a hidden exemption. The saying is a principle of accountability rather than evidence that an individual has broken a law. It can apply to ordinary shared arrangements as well as public institutions. The relevant questions concern the stated standard, the reasons for any exception and whether those reasons are applied transparently.
When to use it
Use it when someone demands compliance while leaving their own exception unexplained.
Keep in mind
Check the rule and evidence; this is not a verdict on a legal case or proof that every existing rule is just.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English