The Basics of Law

Law is a system of rules and regulations made and enforced by a government that regulates the conduct of people within a society.

The law serves many purposes; one of them is to ensure that the members of a society act in a way that promotes peace and upholds the rule of order. Another purpose of law is to set standards and regulate conduct in the various aspects of life, which includes crime, business, social relationships, property, finance etc.

In general, a law is a rule prescribed by the supreme power of a state, commanding what its subjects are to do, and prohibiting what they are to forbear. Usually these are established by decrees, edicts or ordinances of absolute princes, as emperors and kings, or by the formal acts of the legislatures of free states.

It is a rule of conduct which imposes penalties on people who do not follow it, but also provides for the redress of wrongdoings and infringements on their rights. The laws that govern the behavior of rational beings or moral agents are called the common law, while those that govern irrational beings and inanimate bodies are called municipal or civil laws.

The law can be categorized into several branches, which include the law of contract, the law of torts, the law of marriage, the law of evidence etc. Some of the branches of law are also classified into various categories, which provide for a procedure that is followed while administering the system of justice or applying the substantive law.