Few theorists after Thomas Hobbes and David Hume have argued that there is a general duty to obey the law or that political authority is generally legitimate (Hobbes 1668; Hume 1965).
Instead, councils will be under a general duty to seek the best value at all times.
But it is considered a "general duty" under Defense Department directives to do so.
It also placed a general duty on public bodies to promote equality of opportunity and good race relations.
Mr Lewis told MPs on Tuesday that though new legislation meant housing associations had a general duty to "promote home ownership" the Housing Ombudsman would not, at least initially, be able to force them to sell a home.
In fact, we can speculate that if the faun had been a party-political creature, its unruly grouping would have been steadfastly on the side of malevolence, mischief and a general duty to harass and harry the status quo.
He writes, for example: "There is a certain respect, and a general duty of humanity, that attaches us not only to animals, who have life and feeling, but even to trees and plants.
The police do not owe a general duty of care to the public – the courts have always said that would be too onerous – but in specific circumstances they might.
Public bodies will have a general duty to promote race equality - they will have no discretion to decide "whether the promotion of race equality is an 'appropriate activity' ". They must promote equality of opportunity and "good relations" between people of different racial groups.
Employers do, however, have a general duty under health and safety legislation to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees at work, which would include providing clean and fresh air and keeping temperatures at a comfortable level.
