As we need to make a balance between our desires and resources to lead a better life, similarly we need a set of laws, to be followed by all the members of the society, to make the world a better place to live in. Without predefined laws or norms, the society would turn into a chaos, for every individual will only think and work to achieve his/her personal goals, through fair or foul means; no matter what is their affect on the society.
Therefore, almost all the societies and governments worldwide have their own set of laws, which are mandatory for every citizen of that particular society or nation, to maintain a peaceful environment where every individual has an equal opportunity to grow or earn livelihood within boundaries of the law or constitution.
Usually, laws are obeyed by almost all the members of society, but there are a few individuals who breach low. To check these unsocial elements of the society, there are certain restrictive provisions, such as monetary penalty, imprisonment or even capital punishment, in every constitution. Though, the rights and duties (and even mode of punishment) of the citizens vary in each society or nation, according to the structure of their constitution.
With the passage of time or change in cultural or social values, some laws become dated and need to be altered. Therefore, the governments all over the world keep altering or making new laws to accommodate fresh thinking or set of ideas to keep up the pace with the rest of the world. So, if you want to be a part of a civilized society, you’ll have to follow its rules and regulations and control your behavior to avoid undue penalties.