How to understand "the law does not blame everyone"?

The law does not punish the public, which means that when a certain behavior has a certain group or universal nature, even if the behavior contains some illegal or unreasonable factors, it is difficult for the law to punish it.

The law does not blame the public is a principle in formulating laws. In legal theory, there is no situation where the law does not blame the public. The law cannot blame the public from another perspective: water can carry a boat or capsize it. , the formulation of the law itself is also worth pondering.

But in real life, this concept has a certain influence among ordinary people.

Extended information:

Origin of the idiom

Chapter 38 of "Xiao Wuyi" by Shi Yukun of the Qing Dynasty: "When everyone discusses, the law does not punish everyone, and everyone goes away ”

“The law does not punish the public” is a government action taken by the ancient government to deal with certain phenomena that occurred among the people. The "certain phenomenon that occurred among the people" here refers to the countermeasures taken by officials after everyone was making similar mistakes and being brought to the government.

In feudal society, a few people rule the majority. The laws enacted by the ruling class are often "evil laws" that go against the interests of the public, so most people are unwilling to abide by them.

If you "blame the masses", it will easily lead to confrontation and even riots between the government and the people; if you let it go, the ruler will lose face. Therefore, the ruling class adopts a helpless and self-degrading method called "the law does not punish the public." Although the "public" dare not "accuse" them, they are often rude to the main culprit who takes the lead in making trouble.

Baidu Encyclopedia-The law does not punish the public