Law is a system of rules established and enforced by a society to regulate behaviour. It is a complex concept and its precise definition has been the subject of much debate and discussion. It is often used in the sense of ‘a system of rules and regulations’ or even ‘a code of conduct’ but it can also mean a specific set of rules:
Laws provide a Framework and Rules to Help Settle Disputes Between Individuals: -The laws give people a process through which they can bring disputes about their rights to things like property and money to an impartial tactic, such as a judge or jury. There are laws at all levels of government, from local to federal, and they cover a wide variety of topics. For example, immigration law concerns the rights of foreigners to live in a country that is not their own and to acquire or lose citizenship; social security laws concern entitlement to welfare benefits; family laws govern the behaviour of married couples and parents with children; tax laws regulate the amount of tax companies must pay; and banking and financial laws set minimum standards for investment capital and the amounts banks must hold.
Almost all theorists agree that the main function of law is to ensure justice. This can be either distributive or corrective justice, whereby the former aims at fair distribution of social benefits and the latter seeks to remedy wrongs.
Another important aspect of the law is maintaining order, which can be achieved through the use of sanctions against unacceptable behaviour, for example, a criminal penalty for harming others. It is also necessary to protect people’s personal safety and property, which can be done through the use of laws on issues such as traffic offences.
In addition to the above, some theorists believe that laws are a tool for controlling people’s behaviour and that the purpose of the law is not just to provide justice but to control people and prevent them from doing what is not socially acceptable or morally right. However, this view has been criticized by other theorists as being too narrow or utilitarian and as not providing a satisfactory explanation for the existence of law in general.
Other definitions of law focus on its formal content and the authority it derives from official sources of a politically organised civil society. These include statutes or legislation, judicial precedent and custom. Judicial precedents are considered to be binding and judges must consider them in their decisions. Other informal sources include persuasive sources such as foreign judgments, principles of morality or equity, and professional opinions. In addition, there are also natural laws that can be interpreted as being a part of the structure of the universe and therefore not just human conventions. These are sometimes described as natural, divine or mystical laws. These are based on the belief that there is a natural order to everything and that some principles are universal, such as gravity.