a law is a law, however undesirable it may be
Proverb meaning that even a bad law must be obeyed as long as it is in effect. Often used to express resignation or to argue for strict legal compliance. Attributed to Socrates.
They say a law is a law, however undesirable it may be, but is that really acceptable?
彼は悪法もまた法なりと主張して、規則の厳守を求めた。
He insisted that a law is a law, however undesirable it may be, and demanded strict adherence to the rules.
Standard kanji form of the proverb.
Variant using the older kanji 又 for また.
A Japanese rendering of the idea attributed to Socrates that one must obey the laws of the state even if they are unjust. The exact phrasing is a Japanese proverb.