What Is Law?
Generally speaking, law is a set of rules that is enforceable by social, governmental, or legal institutions. Its primary role is to provide a basis for relations between people. Law also serves as a means of settling disputes between individuals. It shapes history, economics, politics, and society as a whole.
Laws can be made by either a group legislature or an individual legislator. It can also be made by an executive branch through decrees, regulations, or executive orders. The term law is often used interchangeably with the term statute, a legal document that is officially adopted and enforced by a government.
Common law is a legal system that explicitly acknowledges decisions made by courts as “law.” It is one of the most widely used legal systems. Legal systems may be divided into common law and civil law.
Common law legal systems have many features in common with modern legal systems. These include a strong doctrine of precedent, an explicit acknowledgment of the executive branch’s decisions, and an explicit acknowledgement that judges are the law makers.
Civil law legal systems are a shorter form of law, often requiring less detailed judicial decisions. They are often shaded blue or light green. A civil case involves disputes over money or property, such as landlord/tenant disputes or breach of contract claims. They are generally quicker to resolve than common law cases.
Family law is a legal system that deals with cases involving family, including divorce, annulment, child custody, adoption, and child support. It is different from criminal law in that it is often dealt with by courts rather than an individual’s personal lawyer. It may also be more complicated than a criminal case. In family law cases, a court can issue child custody orders, property orders, or alimony orders.
Religious law is a type of law that is based on religious precepts. Some religious legal systems include Jewish Halakha and Islamic Sharia. The Quran, Ijma, and Qiyas are other sources of further law. The Quran also acts as a source of further law through interpretation and reasoning by analogy.
There are four universal principles of the rule of law, a working definition of the rule of law. They are based on consultations with a variety of experts worldwide. They are the four principles: justice is delivered by impartials, with adequate resources; justice is provided by independent representatives; justice is based on fairness, with consideration of all perspectives; and justice is delivered by a government based on law.
Justice is a dynamic process that changes often. For example, a law that was originally a perfect statute may be overruled or repealed, and a perfect case may be reversible or reversed. The law can be changed, amended, or repealed in response to new evidence.
Common legal issues include consumer rights, immigration, housing, debt, and immigration. Laws can also be in place to protect people with disabilities, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). These laws are a reflection of the communities they serve.