Nature, Function and Classification of Law

TOPIC ONE NATURE, FUNCTION AND CLASSIFICATION OF LAW Objectives of the course:• Enable the students to think in a more abstract or general fashion than is generally achieved in the study of specific areas of law and demonstrate the same in answering questions. • Enable the student to develop the willingness to question and think independently and to find out more in the study of law. • Discuss critically the definition of law • Explain the various scholars position on their attempt to define the meaning of law • Distinguish law from morality; justice • Explain the various classification of laws • Discuss the functions of law in society Nature of law Meanings given to the word law The word law has various meaning which are used by different classes & types of people. Examples • Regulations that help in the smooth and proper running of institutions such as colleges and Universities could be referred to as laws/ rules. • There are laws of science, which are basis formulas and set standards to be applied in the field of different sciences. There is also the layman’s idea of what law is. He will have a rough idea of where the law came from - the politicians (which are his description of parliament) and the judges. He knows that if he steals and he is caught he will be punished. He also knows that if a drunk driver knocks him down and injures him, he will have the law on his side. However, he will know nothing of the branches of law (law of tort and criminal law) which gives him a remedy in law. He will normally obey law because of the punishment that accompanies disobedience. Normally, he will obey laws because they will appear to him to be common sense. There is also the definition given to the word law by different scholars and by different schools of thought i.e. jurisprudence. This is the science of the theory of law it is the study of the principles of law, and the philosophical aspect of the knowledge of law. Proper law: A basic definition of law that focuses on