Law is a set of rules and principles created and enforced by society and/or governmental bodies to regulate the behavior of individuals and groups within that society. It is often enforced through mechanisms such as penalties, fines or arrests. Law is a broad term, and the precise definition of law has been subject to much debate and controversy. Various academic fields have contributed to the study of law, including philosophy, sociology, history and economics.
A specialized field of study is legal theory, which is the academic and philosophical discussion of the nature and role of law. The main idea is that law serves as a means of social control by imposing structure, order and stability on a society. It may also help to promote morality and social justice, and it can serve to empower the weak against the powerful.
Some nations, such as the United States, use a common law system, which relies on the judgment of judges in individual cases, rather than on pre-determined statutes and regulations. This means that a judge’s decisions are generally binding on other courts and judges, if they deal with similar issues later on. This principle is known as stare decisis.
In contrast, other countries, such as Japan, have a civil law system, which uses codes that explicitly stipulate how judges should decide on particular issues. In the United States, it is a licensed lawyer (usually called a “lawyer”) who prepares and argues legal cases in court. Depending on the jurisdiction, lawyers may have additional duties outside of court, such as researching and writing laws and drafting legislation.
There are many types of laws that govern different aspects of a country’s life, such as property laws which define the rights and duties toward tangible property (e.g. land, buildings) and intangible property (e.g. bank accounts and shares of stock). There is also family law, which governs marriage and divorce, as well as criminal law, which imposes punishments on those who break the laws in these areas.
There is also administrative law, which deals with how a government functions and the relationships between different agencies within it. For example, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a law that sets out requirements for businesses that are open to the public, such as fitness centers or restaurants, to ensure that they do not discriminate against people with disabilities. Other examples of a type of administrative law would be a company’s compliance with the tax laws of their jurisdiction.