“The law is good, it is necessary, its execution is poor, and the manners judge the laws based on the manner in which they are executed.”

—  Honoré de Balzac

Part III. Où mènent les mauvais Chemins (The Ends of Evil Ways), "Ce qu'est un Juge d'instruction pour ceux qui n'en ont pas" ("What a Judge Is for Those Who Do Not Have One") (chapter title).
Splendours and Miseries of Courtesans (1838-1847)
Original: (fr) La loi est bonne, elle est nécessaire, l'exécution en est mauvaise, et les mœurs jugent les lois d'après la manière dont elles s'exécutent.

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Honoré de Balzac photo
Honoré de Balzac 157
French writer 1799–1850

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