4.2.3 Immoral but not illegal
A lot of immoral behaviour is not illegal. For example, cheating on a spouse or partner is not a crime.
Activity 9 Immoral or illegal?
Joshua is running along a canal path when he sees a small child struggling in the water. As he wants to finish his run and get to work on time, he does nothing to help the child.
Comment
You may well consider that Joshua’s failure to help the child is immoral. However, it is not illegal. The criminal law of England and Wales – unlike many other legal systems – does not generally criminalise omissions (i.e. failing to do something), although there are important exceptions.
OpenLearn - Truth, myth or mixture?
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