Law is a system of rules and guidelines that are enforced by the power of government to control behavior in society. It is a social and societal construct that regulates various aspects of human activities including the economy, politics and history and that also mediates relations between people. Law outlines the rights and duties of individuals, communities, and nations. Laws can be created by groups of legislatures resulting in statutes; by individual legislators resulting in a code of laws or a constitution; or by judges in a common law jurisdiction resulting in case law.
There are many different branches of law, ranging from contracts to torts. Contract law governs the exchange of goods and services, spanning from buying a bus ticket to trading options on a stock market. Tort law governs wrongful actions that cause injury or damage, whether to property or to the reputation of an individual or organization. Many of the issues that are dealt with in a legal context are influenced by morals and a moral stance, for example the prohibition against insider trading or due process (fundamental fairness and decency in government actions).
The relationship between law and the political environment is complex and varies from nation to nation. Most countries, however, have a constitutional structure that establishes the law making and enforcement authority. Some, such as the US, use a common law system where the law is compiled from judicial decisions rather than a code of laws, and in which the judiciary is flexible to adapt laws to changing social circumstances through interpretation and creative jurisprudence. Others, such as Japan, use a civil law system in which the judicial branch is constrained by explicit codes of law to ensure consistent, predictable justice.
Hans Kelsen, a philosopher who specialized in legal philosophy, proposed a “pure theory of law.” The pure theory states that the function of law is to regulate human relationships and it does not have to describe what must occur or be effective; instead it defines rules that humans must follow. This is a view of law as an auxiliary to social life, and it is in contrast to the philosophies of Max Weber and John Locke that emphasized the role of law as a means of controlling human interactions.
The law is a crucial aspect of human civilization. It controls the economies of nations, and it influences their politics. It regulates how societies can cooperate and compete in a globalizing world. It protects individuals and businesses from harm, and it provides a sense of order to society. In some cases, it is used to promote the interests of certain groups in society over others. The use of law in this way is known as a form of coercion. Examples of this include the tyrannical rule of Hitler and the repressive dictatorship of Saddam Hussein.
