Introduction The LAWS is one of Plato’s most difficult books, whose subject is of great significance. In the dialogues, we are able to see Plato’s thought on the relationship between political theory and politics in practice. Through the dialogue, we also witness the laying out of a new political system (in the new colony city of Magnesia), with his reflection on family, the status of women, rights concerning property and the role of religion in a republic. The dialogue makes use of dramatic details such as oaths, repetitions and hesitations. The setting The ‘laws’ is a dialogue of three men travelling through the road of Knossos to the mountain caves. The three men are a Spartan, an Athenian named Megillus and a Cretan named Kleinas. The Athenian suggests to the two friends that they could engage in some political conversations on the regime and laws so as to reduce boredom in their journey. The laws and implications The laws of Sparta and Crete were presumed to be the best in Greece. The Athenian asks Megillus and Kleinas about these laws. After listening to the setting of the laws, the Athenian disputes the fact that they are the best by convincing the two that the ancestral laws are not all that wise. In his argument, he lays down three things that the lawgiver must achieve in setting out the laws. These include: ensuring that the city/town upon which he legislates enjoys a substantial amount of freedom, the city and its people are friendly towards each other and that the people are intelligent and capable of making wise decisions. Kleinas informs the other two that him, together with a few others have been selected to come up with laws to govern a new Cretan colony. He therefore, seeks the ideas of the two on what sort of legislations could be ideal for the new colony. The Athenian’s contribution to the ‘would be’ laws of the new city is impressive to the Spartan and the Cretan and they therefore recommend him to be part of the team founding the new city called Magnesia. From the conversation, the emergent main theme is how to establish the rule of law among a people, who naturally do not feel obligated to obey the law. To these people, the rule of law has never existed. It is an alien concept to them and hence; quite challenging to convince them of the benefits of observing the rule. The Dorian laws, as they were later called, if well implemented would solve the problem of legislation without much a task. These laws made by people to whom divine authority had been conferred would demand absolute obedience from the people. Obedience would be ensured through coercion. This solution is seen to have worked successfully when applied in Sparta by enabling the city to maintain long stability. The case is not similar in Athens. In the conversation, the Athenian disputes this predicament of assessing the laws’ success by traditional history. Instead, he proposes a model whereby what ought to be and not to be done is explained to the people first so that they understand why and/ or why not to do or not to engage in activities. The laws themselves are the ones to explain this to the people so that they are self explanatory. The role of authority, therefore, was only to implement these laws and not to impose laws upon the people. Obedience would be ensured not through coercion but through this understanding of the laws. To support his argument, the Atheni