What is a duty?

Answer 1

General

A general duty or duties (responsibilities) is/are actions a person must or is expected to perform. For example, society expects parents to exercise certain duties in caring for their children.

Personal / Relationships / Marriage / Jobs / Life

Every person takes on certain duties (responsibilities) in different phases of life, including: to one's parents and family; to one's personal goals; to one's job and career; to one's marriage and children; to all passages of life through death. Thus, you could insert any word (often a noun or noun substitute) before the word "duties" and change the specific definition of what "duties" means in that context. For example: parental duties; friendship duties; wives' duties; husbands' duties; civic duties; job duties; physicians' duties; nurses' or nursing duties; etc.

Civic Duties

Every citizen has certain responsibilities, often outlined by laws to ensure people conform. For example, USA citizens who work or receive income have a duty to pay taxes as one responsibility. Controversies often arise about civil duties when people disagree with laws. Another civic duty is worded as another duty, that being "jury duty" which is required unless the citizen is excused for hardship reasons or other reason deemed sufficient by the Court; for example, in trials, either the Defense or Prosecutor can challenge the seating of a juror, and if accepted by the Judge, the juror is "relieved of the duty" to sit on the jury.

"Civil rights" and "civil duties" often are parallel and similar, but also can conflict and cause divisiveness.

Governmental Duties

Democratic governments have Constitutions that outline the government's duties to its citizens. Communist countries list or state fewer, if any, duties to citizens of Communist countries.

Law

Laws prescribe certain duties between two parties (such as contract law in which one party agrees to perform certain actions in exchange for a set payment), or between companies and their customers. For example, landlords have a duty to tenants to follow the laws of the State for eviction procedures. A bank or financial institution has duties to notify customers of changes in banking regulations.

Every area of life that can be legislated with the creation of legal rules or laws will also create duties/responsibilities. For example, in the 1950s child abuse was more accepted in society. As awareness increased, laws were created to strongly protect children. One law created "mandatory reporters" -- doctors, nurses, school personnel, therapists/counselors. These people have a duty now to report abuse or suspected abuse.

Economics / Financial

A "duty" in trade is a monetary fee charged by a country that accepts imports from Another Country. Citizens who travel and are returning to their home country are required to pay a duty on merchandise purchased in another country; in this sense, it is like (but not exactly) a special tax on goods. The reason for a duty is to prevent a person or company from bringing large amounts of goods into a home country from somewhere else, and thus negatively affecting the economics of a local area or whole country.

Again, anyone can add a noun before the word and create a new "duty". Some duties are more like expectations society holds; other duties are legislated through laws.

Answer 2

Duty is defined as "an obligation, to which the law will give recognition and effect, to conform to a particular standard of conduct toward another.

See below link:

--------------------------

It is ANY duty or obligation which the law (both civil and criminal) places upon you - either by being a citizen of a particular jurisdiction or country - OR - any obligation you freely assume by signing contracts or other binding promises to perform certain acts.