Conservatives stress that we must respect the law as we find it and submit to it, even if we think the law is arcane or unjust. Conservatives remind us that our civil law has emerged through the crucible of experience, and, no doubt, reflects a measure of wisdom that should not be lightly set aside. If the law is to be changed, it should be done so carefully, slowly, and only by the action of those in government who are constitutionally empowered to do so. In American politics, this power is given to the legislative branch of government. The role of the executive branch is to see that the laws are carried out, while the role of the judicial branch is to make sure that the will of the legislature as reflected in the letter of the law is properly understood and applied.
Liberals differ with conservatives in their conception of the purpose of law.
Conservatives view the law as a deposit of wisdom, and see it as a means of restraining the evil proclivities of men and of bringing order to society. Liberals, while not denying the need for order, see the law in a different light. They take a much more utilitarian approach to law, making it a tool for social change. Furthermore, contrary to conservatives who place law in the context of fixed principles and higher law, liberals set law in the context of evolutionary thinking. Man is changing and evolving.