The concept of a charity appeal is traditionally viewed as one of the opportunities that must be provided to vulnerable groups in a democratic state as the means of providing them with the opportunity to enjoy the same freedoms and rights as other members of the population. However, a charitable appeal is not devoid of controversies, which is why considering the arguments against is also necessary. Nonetheless, after examining the arguments in favor of a charitable appeal and against it, one must acknowledge its necessity due to the imperfections in the justice system and the necessity to provide a possibly innocent person with an opportunity to defend themselves in court.
The significance of a charitable appeal as the tool for seeking justice for those that belong to disadvantaged communities and do not have resources for supporting themselves in a difficult situation cannot possibly be underestimated. The very premise on which the concept of a charitable appeal is based is rooted in the foundational ideas of democracy, namely, the provision of equal opportunities for all people, no matter their social background. Without the existence of a charity appeal, people from underfunded communities would not be able to fight for their rights in court, which would have led to detrimental outcomes in multiple cases. Thus, the application of a charitable appeal as the means of assisting people that require additional social and economic support is central to maintaining the principles of equality and democracy within the social and legal system.
Arguably, the concept of charitable appeal is not safe from being abused by the people who are not entitled to it. Indeed, it is comparatively easy to imagine the scenario in which a rich person would use a charitable appeal to bypass the law and gain more resources for working their way out of a situation for which they are partially responsible (Nilsson et al., 2016). Indeed, several scholars define the specified option as the appeal to pity and, therefore, deem it to be a manipulation of the jury’s feelings, particularly, their sympathy for the person in need (Nilsson et al., 2016). Therefore, charitable appeal can be easily represented and used as a vehicle for locating loopholes in the existing legal system and the means of manipulating people’s emotions (Nilsson et al., 2016). Thus, the framework under analysis could be interpreted as ethically and legally questionable.
However, at the same time, charitable appeal allows addressing the cases in which the person in need could have an opportunity to win the case, yet the lack of financial resources prevents them from doing so. Therefore, apart from assisting people on an individual level, the existence of a charity appeal contributes to bringing justice to the community, in general, since it helps to create precedents that would, later on, provide the basis for achieving justice in similar cases.
Since the power structures by which modern society is represented allow for significant inequalities to be observed across different population groups and classes, it is essential to provide people with an opportunity to file a charity appeal. Charitable appeals serve as the beacon of democracy and the chance to give a voice to those that may be underrepresented in the modern community due to the lack of financial resources, the presence of prejudices, or the existence of any other social or socioeconomic hindrances. Therefore, the existence of a charitable appeal as the means of legally supporting those in need is fully justified.
References
Nilsson, A., Erlandsson, A., & Västfjäll, D. (2016). The congruency between moral foundations and intentions to donate, self-reported donations, and actual donations to charity. Journal of Research in Personality, 65, 22-29.