Law is the system of rules that governs the behaviour of members of a society or community and defines what can and cannot be done. It covers the whole range of human activity, from private and business relationships to public service. Law is central to peace and security, economic development, political stability and the protection of people’s rights and freedoms.
There are many different views on what the law is, and it can differ widely across legal systems and individuals. It can be difficult to give a precise definition, but four principal functions are often identified: establishing standards; maintaining order; resolving disputes; and protecting liberties and rights.
The law may be made by the state, the church, the community or an individual. It may be enforced by force or persuasion. It can have a religious, philosophical, utilitarian or naturalist basis. For example, philosopher Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarian view was that the law was a set of commands (backed by threat of sanctions) from a sovereign to which people have a habit of obedience and a sense of obligation. Jean Jacques Rousseau’s natural law theory was that there are certain moral laws of nature, which can be discovered through reasoning and which are unchanging.
Other areas of the law include:
For instance, aviation law deals with all regulations and technical standards governing the safe operation of aircraft, and is framed by national civil aviation acts, which are generally aligned to the recommendations or mandatory standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation or ICAO. Environmental protection law aims to minimise pollution, and is largely framed by legislation or treaty. Labour law deals with the tripartite industrial relationship between employer, worker and trade union, and outlines a person’s right to employment, health and safety and a minimum wage.
Other areas of the law are criminal law, which encompasses punishment and defence, and jurisprudence, the study of how laws should be created and applied. Civil law is a broad area which includes contracts, property and commercial transactions. Tort law is a type of civil law which provides compensation for loss or injury, such as an accident or defamation. Intellectual property, company law and trusts are also types of law. The law is closely linked to politics, and the article on politics gives an overview of how a nation’s government is established. It also examines political parties and legal reforms.