Law is a system of rules that regulates behavior, usually by imposing penalties for breaking them. It influences politics, economics, history and society in many ways. Law shapes people’s lives and gives them order, stability and justice. It allows people to plan their lives with reasonable confidence that they will not be attacked by others and that the laws will protect their property and rights. It is a source of stability in society and allows for trade, diplomacy and war.
The word law derives from the Old Norse lag, meaning “lay down order.” It can also mean a set of strong rules made by an authority that must be followed. A parent’s house rules might be described as law or a person’s instinctive response to danger might be called a law of self-preservation. The concept of law is central to the study of legal systems and to the professions of lawyers and judges.
Law can refer to a specific set of rules, such as all the laws of a country. It can also refer to a specific area of law, such as family, labour, criminal or civil law. For example, employment law concerns a tripartite industrial relationship between worker, employer and trade union; criminal law involves the rights of citizens to trial and appeal; and evidence law involves what materials are admissible in courts for a case to be built. Law can also refer to a particular school of thought on the nature and purpose of law.
