Law is a set of rules that are created and enforced by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior. Its precise definition is the subject of much debate. Law can be created and enforced by group legislatures resulting in statutes, by individual executives through decrees and regulations or by judges articulating holdings, or precedents, that bind lower courts in cases brought before them (common law legal systems). Private individuals may also create legally binding contracts that adopt alternative ways of resolving disputes to standard court litigation.
There are many different types of laws, ranging from fundamental human rights, such as the right to life, liberty and security of person, to laws that govern specific activities, such as competition law, consumer law or tort law. There are also specialized laws that address issues such as the law of property, business and international law.
The creation of laws is a complex process that involves political negotiation and compromise. Laws are constantly being updated and changed to reflect the changing needs of society, as well as to provide protection from those who wish to take advantage of others or commit crimes. A country’s constitution will typically lay out a framework of law, which is then further regulated by other laws, such as the civil rights or administrative laws.
While the majority of laws are created and enforced at the state level, there are a number of areas of law that are established internationally through treaties or what is known as customary international law. These include commercial agreements such as those between nations, or a body of judicial decisions in case law that is accepted as being binding by two or more countries’ courts where they are involved in a dispute with each other.
When examining an area of law, it is important to consider the underlying philosophy behind it. For example, do laws treat people fairly? Do they allow for checks on power, such as a free press and independent judiciary? Do people face consequences for their actions, regardless of their wealth or status?
The study of law requires a combination of analytical skills and a broad knowledge of the social, political and economic context in which law operates. As such, the writing of articles about law can become highly technical and assume a level of prior knowledge. This is particularly true in the areas of law that deal with more controversial changes to legislation. See below for examples of this kind of article. For more information about the structure of a nation’s legal system, see law system; legal profession; and law school. For an examination of the relationship between law and political structures, see constitutional law; government; and political party. For more information on specific aspects of law, see the following articles: