Legal
Law is a system of rules, usually enforced through a set of
institutions. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous
ways and serves as a primary social mediator in relations between
people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus ticket
to trading on derivatives markets. Property law defines rights and
obligations related to the transfer and title of personal (often
referred to as chattel) and real property. Trust law applies to assets
held for investment and financial security, while tort law allows
claims for compensation if a person's rights or property are harmed
(often considered civil case if filed under an issue of tort law vs
. criminal). If the harm is criminalised in penal code, criminal law
offers means by which the state can prosecute the perpetrator.
Constitutional law provides a framework for the creation of law,
the protection of human rights and the election of political
representatives. Administrative law is used to review the decisions
of government agencies, while international law governs affairs
between sovereign nation states in activities ranging from trade to
environmental regulation or military action. Writing in 350 BC, the
Greek philosopher Aristotle declared, "The rule of law is better
than the rule of any individual."
Legal systems elaborate rights and responsibilities in a variety of ways.
A general distinction can be made between civil law jurisdictions, which
codify their laws, and common law systems, where judge made law is
not consolidated. In some countries, religion still informs the law. Law
provides a rich source of scholarly inquiry, into legal history, philosophy,
economic analysis or sociology. Law also raises important and complex
issues concerning equality, fairness and justice. "In its majestic equality",
said the author Anatole France in 1894, "the law forbids rich and poor
alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread."
In a typical democracy, the central institutions for interpreting and
creating law are the three main branches of government, namely an
impartial judiciary, a democratic legislature, and an accountable executive.
To implement and enforce the law and provide services to the public, a
government's bureaucracy, the military and police are vital. While all
these organs of the state are creatures created and bound by law, an
independent legal profession and a vibrant civil society inform and
support their progress.
