Do you think pointless complicated rules and laws are sometimes designed to prevent people from looking bad?

For example I think if someone makes a dumb mistake that costs their reputation, I think they can sometimes get out of the rut because sometimes the rules that people fallow can be complicated, finicky, contradictory, and often plan confusing. Do you think strict rules are sometimes used as a safety net to make a person not look bad break them, especially the important ones? Do you think sometimes strict and complicated pointless laws are sometimes implemented just to help stupid people not look bad when they make costly mistakes that can kill their reputation?