Law is a system of rules and regulations established by social or governmental authorities that regulate human behavior in order to maintain order and stability. The precise nature of law is subject to wide debate and interpretation, with the field being described as both a science and an art.
In modern societies, the law is a key part of any democracy and it defines how people can be held accountable for their actions. A well-functioning legal system also ensures that everyone is treated equally and fairly regardless of their status or wealth. For example, criminal laws typically ensure that wealthy and poor people face the same penalties for crimes such as murder.
The word ‘law’ comes from the Old Norse lag, meaning to lay or fix to a certain tune. The word ‘law’ is also used to refer to the entire body of a nation’s laws, as in “Zola wanted to be a lawyer so she studied hard at law school.”
In the early 20th century, the philosopher Roscoe Pound suggested that law is an institution designed to control people and their behaviour, while John Austin defined law as an aggregate set of commandments or principles set by a sovereign authority over men, as its political subjects. These commands or principles must be obeyed by all members of society in order to preserve a state of peace and goodwill. In the case of a government, this may include military and police forces that are intended to keep order, as well as courts that adjudicate cases and decide punishments.
Other scholars have reshaped thinking on the extension of power of the state by examining the origins and evolution of law. For example, Max Weber argued that a society’s laws are created by its elite groups and are then enforced by the state using mechanisms that create a sense of fear. As a result, even if laws are arbitrary or bad, they will still be obeyed by those with the power to enforce them. This is illustrated by the Nazis’ killing of six million Jews and Saddam Hussein’s torture and imprisonment of minority Sunni Muslims.
The earliest known law in existence is the Ten Commandments of Abraham, which are considered by many to be fundamental to the practice of Christianity. Later, the Romans developed their law by interpreting biblical teachings and creating codes of conduct for different situations. Today, nations around the world have a variety of legal systems, some following common law and others based on civil law, Islamic law or religious law. In some countries, judicial decisions are acknowledged as law, a concept called stare decisis, and are binding on lower courts in similar cases. Other countries use a combination of common law, civil law and a unique indigenous system. See also: agency; air law; bankruptcy; carriage of goods; commercial transaction; contract; constitutional law; criminal law; family law; maritime law; labour law; medical jurisprudence; property law and tax law.