THE NEED OF VIGILANTISM IN THE SOCIETY IN JUXTAPOSITION WITH ITS DISADVANTAGES AS SEEN IN ‘V FOR VENDETTA’

Vigilantism can be defined as law enforcement undertaken without legal authority by a selfappointed individual and/or a group of individuals. It usually stems from a situation where the existing structures and laws of society and their enforcement, are deemed ineffective. Vigilantism has its fair share of merits and demerits. While on one hand, it can be seen as the only way to combat a hopeless situation where the societal laws and structures do little to punish the guilty and protect the innocent, it is also a form of power; one which has the power to corrupt. There are a myriad cases in point to prove how extreme vigilantism can result in the loss of innocent lives as collateral, and as the famous Blackstone's ratio formulates: It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer. This paper will focus on studying these points on the basis of the 2005 film 'V For Vendetta', directed by James McTeigue, and taking a final stance against vigilantism.