Nobody Is Above the Law

Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules. [...] You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules.

—Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals

Johnny is busted for his writing about Mr. Smith and must deal what Smith has in store. Johnny has a plan in order to save himself. When Smith asks if Johnny has any question, he asks if Smith is above the schools rules. Smith informs Johnny that teachers aren’t above the rules and learns that he violated the policy about theft.

What this tropes is about those who enforces a rule, or sometimes the law, has to follow it else well since they’re made that a policy for reason. Any form of institution whatever is government or schools, a policy must be put in place. This rule is also true if someone is at a higher class-level as well.

This differences from Screw the Rules tropes for the follow since these excuses doesn't matter:

• Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Bribing To Break the Policy
• Screw the Rules, I Have Connections: Knows someone who can bail them out
• Screw the Rules, I Make Them: Who makes them

This also differs from My Rule Fu Is Stronger Than Yours because it’s about a person finding a loophole only for another person to find one too. Often the undoing of a new authority that insists all rules be followed.

No real life examples, please; All The Tropes is not a gossip site, and we don't need to know.

Sub-Tropes:

• All Crimes Are Equal: Crime Is Treated the same way and even the enforcement must follow them
• The Golden Rule: Respect the law and the law respects the person
• Screw the Money, I Have Rules: Where a person refuses to abandon their morals despite the offer being made, even if there’s something to gain.

As these sometimes contain the outcomes, spoiler alerts are advised.

Examples of Nobody Is Above the Law include:

Comics

• Judge Dredd Series: Judges are subjected to the same laws they enforce. The punishment Judges face for violation, however, can be harsher than an avenge criminal since not only are they the police judge and jury.

Literature

• Recommended by Saul Alinsky in his book Rules for Radicals as rule 4. The simplicity, ease of implementation and lack of moral questionably has made it the most widely followed of his 13 rules.
• Nineteen Eighty-Four: The Inner-Party members of Oceania enjoy higher standards of living than the Outer-Party and the Proles. However, just because there are basically the enforcement of Big Brother, as O’Brien is reveal to be a strictly royal, they too are subjected to either be sent to a labor camp or become an Unperson… more likely the latter due to the position they’re at.

Live Action TV

• iCarly In the episode "iGot Detention", Mr. Howard was about to unleash his rage only to be reminded by Principal Franklin, who arrives just in time, he's still forbidden to harm students, just like Sam gets in trouble for attacking her follow classmates… if seen doing so.

Theater

• Henry IV Part 1: Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, plots to overthrow his boss, King Henry IV, but he’s ultimately captured and likely executed. His job as Earl places him in a government position but he’s still subjected to the same rules that non-royals are subjected too, making this trope Older Than Steam.

Western Animation

• Doug, "Doug Battles the Rulemeister":

Doug: Does the rules apply to everyone?
Mr. Bone: Every person without exception.
Doug: Well, excuse me sir, but you broken one of your rules. No Grabbing Other People's Comics.
Mr. Bone looks stunned as Doug calmly shows the rules listed on a nearby in the Detention Room.

• The Simpsons is known for this.
  • "Homer-Land", Mr. Burns confronted by the FBI for safety reasons.
  • "Homer Goes to College", Burns tries to bribe the nuclear plant inspectors, which doesn’t work.
  • "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes", Mayor Quimby is exposed for spending fund to repair potholes for his secret pool, while Burns is arrested for providing uranium to terrorists.
• The Futurama episode "How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back" has Hermes defeat an antagonistic bureaucrat by exposing her paper work error.
• In the Muppet Babies episode, "Kermit Goes to Washington", Piggy tries to change the rules in the middle of a toy boat race when she saw that Gonzo was winning. Piggy gets called out since she made the rules.