What Is Law?
Law is the set of principles, guidelines and practices geared to control behavior and maintain societal order. It also regulates human relationships, property, finance and business activities. In addition, it deals with issues of rationality, justice, reason, morality and honesty from both judicial and societal viewpoints.
The word ‘law’ is also used to refer to the body of laws created by governments, corporations and individuals over time in a given country. This collection of laws is known as the legal system and it encompasses a broad range of subjects such as criminal, family, property, contract and trust law.
In the modern world, laws are drafted, codified and implemented by government agencies. They are enforced by a body of trained professionals called lawyers. Lawyers are highly educated, often obtaining a degree from university or college (such as a Bachelor of Laws, a Bachelor of Civil Laws, a Master of Legal Studies, a Bar Professional Training Course or a Juris Doctor). Some legal systems also require an examination and disciplinary procedure before a lawyer is able to practice law.
A legal system may be based on the rule of law, which is a principle whereby people (including those in public office) are considered to be equal under publicly disclosed legal codes and processes. It stands in contrast to the idea that some people are above the law by virtue of divine right or special privilege.
Various scholars have developed different theories about the nature of law. Karl von Savigny, for example, viewed law as a form of natural evolution. He argued that customs precede legislation, and that the law must conform to social consciousness.
Other scholars, such as Hans Kelsen, viewed the law as an activity governed by normative principles. He believed that the objective of law is to achieve a ‘just balance’ between competing interests.
Laws can be made up of a series of rules or statutes, which are enforced by an authority, such as a police force or a court of law. They can also be an enforceable agreement or promise between parties, such as a contract. In the context of a country, law covers such diverse topics as air transport, bankruptcy, commercial transaction, criminal, employment, taxation and property law.
A country’s law can affect its politics, economy and history. For example, it can influence how a nation develops its relations with other countries and international organizations. It can also influence a country’s constitution, ideology and political structure. The study of law is also closely associated with the fields of anthropology, economics, history and sociology. This is because the laws of a society reflect a culture’s values, traditions and historical experiences. Therefore, the study of law involves a detailed analysis of all aspects of the society in which it exists. For this reason, a major field of research is comparative law. This is the study of the laws and legal system of different cultures, which provides insight into the complexities of law as an international phenomenon.