Effect of law to create or validate social norms beyond the fear of punishment
The expressive function of law is the effect of law to create or validate
social norms beyond the fear of punishment.[1][2] For example, the
criminalization of homosexuality may be maintained in order to express disapproval of homosexuality, even if it is not regularly enforced.[3]
See also
Unenforced law, a law which is formally in effect, but is usually not penalized by a jurisdiction
Victimless crime, an illegal act which harms only the perpetrator(s)
^Funk, P. (2007). "Is There An Expressive Function of Law? An Empirical Analysis of Voting Laws with Symbolic Fines". American Law and Economics Review. 9 (1): 135–159.
doi:
10.1093/aler/ahm002.
Arnold, N. Scott (2000). "Postmodern Liberalism and the Expressive Function of Law". Social Philosophy and Policy. 17 (1): 87–109.
doi:
10.1017/S0265052500002545.
S2CID221536524.
Dharmapala, D. (2003). "The Condorcet Jury Theorem and the Expressive Function of Law: A Theory of Informative Law". American Law and Economics Association. 5 (1): 1–31.
doi:
10.1093/aler/5.1.1.
McAdams, Richard H. (2015). The Expressive Powers of Law: Theories and Limits. Harvard University Press.
ISBN978-0-674-96720-5.