What Is Law
What Is Law?
Although “the law” may seem to be abstract and far removed from everyday life, it actually is a framework for much of what you do. Perhaps you get a traffic ticket or want a local store to replace a defective toaster you purchased. Perhaps you have been called for jury duty or must testify as a witness to an accident. Perhaps you want to stop a road widening project near your home, ponder the issues of prayer in school or abortion, or must see that the provisions of a will are carried out. And certainly every year you must file an income tax return. Each of these scenarios involves the law. What is law, what are the categories and roles of law, and where does it come from?
Law does not have a universally accepted definition, but one definition is that law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior. “ Laws are made by governments, specifically by their legislatures. The formation of laws themselves may be influenced by a constitution (written or unwritten) and the rights encoded therein. The law shapes politics, economics and society in countless ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people.” The description of what law does gives us a vivid definition of law. The roles and reasoning behind the legal system gives a general perception of what law is all about. Law is described as a body of official rules, it governs a society, it controls the behavior of its members and it is a formal mechanism of social control.
Law can be categorized into four groups which are contract law, torts(civil wrong), property law and criminal law. A contract is a legally-enforceable promise or set of promises made by one party to another. A contract is a legally binding agreement concerning a bargain which is essentially commercial in its nature and involves the sale or hire of commodities such as goods, services or land. Tort laws are laws that offer remedies to individuals harmed by the
Although “the law” may seem to be abstract and far removed from everyday life, it actually is a framework for much of what you do. Perhaps you get a traffic ticket or want a local store to replace a defective toaster you purchased. Perhaps you have been called for jury duty or must testify as a witness to an accident. Perhaps you want to stop a road widening project near your home, ponder the issues of prayer in school or abortion, or must see that the provisions of a will are carried out. And certainly every year you must file an income tax return. Each of these scenarios involves the law. What is law, what are the categories and roles of law, and where does it come from?
Law does not have a universally accepted definition, but one definition is that law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior. “ Laws are made by governments, specifically by their legislatures. The formation of laws themselves may be influenced by a constitution (written or unwritten) and the rights encoded therein. The law shapes politics, economics and society in countless ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people.” The description of what law does gives us a vivid definition of law. The roles and reasoning behind the legal system gives a general perception of what law is all about. Law is described as a body of official rules, it governs a society, it controls the behavior of its members and it is a formal mechanism of social control.
Law can be categorized into four groups which are contract law, torts(civil wrong), property law and criminal law. A contract is a legally-enforceable promise or set of promises made by one party to another. A contract is a legally binding agreement concerning a bargain which is essentially commercial in its nature and involves the sale or hire of commodities such as goods, services or land. Tort laws are laws that offer remedies to individuals harmed by the