The Law is a set of rules that form a framework to ensure a peaceful society, and which are enforced by the state. If the laws are broken, sanctions may be imposed. Law is a complex subject that has many different definitions and is a subject of debate. However, the most common view is that a legal system is a set of enforceable rules that govern how a society behaves and is organized. The law binds the behavior of all members of society, including government officials and private citizens. The law regulates relationships between the parties involved in a particular transaction. For example, contracts regulate the exchange of goods or services, while property law defines people’s rights and duties toward tangible property (like land or buildings) and intangible property (like money or stocks). The law also provides a means to resolve conflicts that cannot be settled peacefully, such as when two people claim ownership of a piece of property. The law also serves to protect individuals’ liberties and rights, such as freedom of speech or the right to privacy.
Laws are commonly made by a legislature or government, and enacted into statutes. However, laws can also be created by an executive agency through decrees or regulations. They can be established by courts through the “doctrine of precedent” or “stare decisis”, in which decisions by higher courts bind lower courts to assure that similar cases reach similar results. Private citizens can create their own legally binding contracts, as well as arbitration agreements that adopt alternative methods to standard court litigation.
There are many branches of law, which reflect the diverse aspects of society and society’s goals and values. Labor law, for example, studies the tripartite industrial relationship between worker, employer and trade union, including issues such as job security and a minimum wage. Tort law, on the other hand, deals with compensation when an individual is harmed, such as in an automobile accident or through defamation. Immigration law and family law deal with the rights of foreigners to live in a nation-state and to acquire or lose citizenship, as well as the rights of children and spouses.
The term law is also used to refer to the profession of lawyer, and to the schooling required for this career. See the articles on the legal profession, legal education and legal ethics for more information. The term law is also often used in casual conversation to refer to the laws of a certain geographical area, such as the phrase “that’s against the law” when referring to a crime. See the article on geographic terms for more information.