Law is a system of rules that society or government develops to deal with crime, business agreements, and social relationships. It can also refer to the people who work in this system.
The precise definition of Law is a matter of longstanding debate, and it has been variously described as both a science and an art. Law covers a broad range of topics, from the rules that govern the movement of air traffic to the legal rights of a person who has been harmed by another’s actions. Some laws are scientific, such as the law of gravity, which states that objects fall to the ground (and explains how this effect can be calculated from a formula, Fg = m1 – m2 + d). Scientific laws can be changed by new research, but they remain fixed in their essentials.
Other types of Law include family, criminal, and administrative. Each type of law has its own unique set of rules and regulations. For example, criminal law deals with crimes against persons or property; contract law covers agreements to exchange goods and services; and civil law covers relations between citizens.
The way in which a person is treated by the law depends on a number of factors, including the country’s political landscape and the system of justice it has adopted. For instance, some nations use a common law system that relies on decisions made by judges in the course of trialing cases. This differs from a civil law system, which is based on codified codes that explicitly provide the rules for judges to follow.