Law is a system of rules and regulations that are enforced by the state, in order to create a stable society and ensure the safety and security of its citizens. It governs social, economic and cultural aspects of life. The precise meaning of the term is subject to long-running debate: it may be taken to mean any set of rules that a particular jurisdiction recognises as governing the behaviour of its citizens, whether written or unwritten; or it may be viewed as a system of moral principles that guides human conduct. Laws can be created by a group legislature, leading to statutes; or they may be made by individual executive authorities, resulting in decrees and regulations; or laws can be established through judicial decisions, which are often binding on lower courts under the principle of stare decisis (Latin for “to stand by decisions”).
Many jurisdictions have different types of law, and even within a single country there is considerable diversity. For example, some countries have a common law system, which has a rich heritage of caselaw and statutes; and others have civil law systems, which are much more formalised and structured. Laws can also be derived from religious precepts, for example the Jewish Halakha and Islamic Shari’a; or they can be elaborated by further human elaboration through interpretation, Qiyas (reasoning by analogy), Ijma (consensus) and legal precedent.
There are a range of different areas covered by law, from criminal and administrative to commercial and environmental. There are also specific fields of law, such as tort law and family law, which deal with the rights of individuals. Other laws regulate activities of private companies, for example, banking and financial regulation; and water, energy and telecommunications law. There are also laws governing the use of force by police and military personnel, which have a significant impact on people’s lives.
The articles in this section explore the main aspects of law, both in general terms and in more detail. They cover the relationships of law to politics, economics and history; and consider major debates in legal theory. For articles that delineate the relationship between laws and governmental structures, see constitution; ideology; political party; and political system. For articles that discuss the effects of law on social issues, see censorship; crime and punishment; and the legal system. For articles that discuss the role of law in shaping societies, see law and society; and law and power. The article Law, history of provides an overview of the development of legal systems. The articles in this section also provide details of the different types of legal systems, including China, European law; Egyptian law; Indian law; and Scottish law. They also include links to introductory articles about the various disciplines involved in the study of law.