In the legal system, both substantive law and procedural law must be followed for justice to be served. These two branches of law serve different but complementary roles:

1. Substantive Law: Substantive law defines the rights, duties, and obligations of individuals and entities. It outlines what behavior is considered legal or illegal and provides the legal principles that govern various areas of law, such as contract law, criminal law, property law, and more. Substantive law sets the standards and rules that people are expected to follow.
2. Procedural Law: Procedural law, on the other hand, establishes the rules and processes that must be followed in legal proceedings. It dictates how cases are filed, how evidence is presented, how trials are conducted, and how appeals are handled. Procedural law ensures that legal proceedings are fair, consistent, and just.

In a legal system, both substantive and procedural law work together. For instance, in a criminal case, substantive law defines what constitutes a crime and the punishment for it, while procedural law outlines how the accused is to be charged, tried, and sentenced. In a civil case, substantive law defines the legal rights and responsibilities of the parties involved, while procedural law governs how the case is initiated, how evidence is presented, and how a judgment is reached.

To achieve justice, it is essential to adhere to both substantive and procedural law. Failing to do so can result in unfair outcomes, violations of individual rights, and a breakdown of the legal system’s integrity.

Procedural law is crucial to achieving the objectives of substantive law for several key reasons:

1. Fairness and Due Process: Procedural law ensures that legal proceedings are conducted fairly and consistently. It establishes the rules and standards that govern how cases are handled, guaranteeing that all parties involved have a fair opportunity to present their arguments, evidence, and defenses. This due process is essential for protecting individual rights and ensuring that justice is served.
2. Legal Certainty and Predictability: Procedural law provides a structured and predictable framework for resolving disputes. It outlines the steps and processes to be followed in legal proceedings, which promotes consistency and uniformity in the application of substantive law. This predictability is critical for individuals and businesses to understand their legal obligations and rights.
3. Efficiency and Orderliness: Procedural law helps streamline the legal process by setting clear timelines, procedures, and rules for conducting trials, hearings, and appeals. This efficiency is essential for reducing delays in the resolution of disputes and preventing unnecessary litigation.
4. Protecting Against Abuse of Power: Procedural law includes safeguards and mechanisms to prevent the abuse of power by government authorities, judges, or other parties involved in the legal system. It ensures that decisions are made based on the law and established procedures, rather than arbitrary or biased actions.
5. Enforcement of Substantive Rights: Procedural law is the mechanism through which substantive rights are enforced. Without proper procedures in place, it would be challenging to hold individuals or entities accountable for violations of substantive law. Procedural rules enable the initiation of legal actions, gathering of evidence, presentation of arguments, and the enforcement of judgments.
6. Legal Remedies and Redress: Procedural law provides a framework for seeking legal remedies and redress when substantive rights are violated. It outlines how individuals can file lawsuits, seek injunctions, or pursue other legal actions to protect their rights or seek compensation for harm suffered.
7. Maintaining Public Confidence: A transparent and well-functioning legal system, guided by procedural law, helps maintain public confidence in the justice system. When people believe that their disputes will be resolved fairly and in accordance with the law, they are more likely to comply with substantive legal norms and respect the authority of the legal system.

In summary, procedural law is essential to achieving the objectives of substantive law because it ensures fairness, due process, efficiency, and the effective enforcement of legal rights and obligations. Without proper procedures in place, the principles and rules established by substantive law may remain unenforced, leading to a breakdown in the legal system and a failure to achieve justice.