The conflict between law and ethics has been a topic of debate since time immemorial. Today the debate rages above all on issues such as abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage which highlight the conflict between ethics and law. Is it ethically justified to administer euthanasia to a suffering person if his family or the patient requests it? Is abortion ethically justified because it is legal? Is gay marriage illegal and wrong because society and the law says so? These among many are just a few examples of the many conflicts that surround law and ethics and have yet to be answered as the debate rages on. Nowadays, many people assume that law and ethics are intertwined. In fact, the two concepts are fundamentally different and have been at odds in many situations. Law is defined as a set of universal and reliable rules that are usually published, generally accepted and applied. These rules are set to govern the behaviors of people in society as well as defining what needs to be done. On the other hand, ethics is the principle that governs what is morally good or wrong. Although law and ethics are totally different, there is a relationship between the two. There is a relationship between law and ethics. In some cases, ethics and law overlap because what is perceived as unethical is also illegal. On other occasions, they do not overlap because what is considered ethical may be illegal and what is considered legal may be unethical. A behavior may be considered ethical, but according to the law the behavior is illegal. Legal and ethical principles are generally closely related, but ethical obligations typically outweigh legal duties. The conflict between law and ethics comes... halfway through the document ......there is a conflict between law and ethics, but professionalism is required in the nursing profession. Nurses' legal duty parallels ethical responsibility in both cases as they are legally required to uphold standards of care, abide by ethical, moral, and legal standards, and maintain accountability for safe patient practices in the workplace. Works Cited Michael, D (2014). The role of the American Nurses Association code in ethical decision making. NursingCenter.com. .http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/static?Ogata, S. (2010). Legal, ethical and political issues in nursing. Critical Care Nurse Journal, 25.5, 72.Beech, M. (2007). Confidentiality in health care: Conflicting legal and ethical issues. Nursing Standard, 21.21, 42-46.Scales, K. (2009) Intravenous therapy: the legal and professional aspects of the practice. Nursing standard 23.33, 51-57.