Law is the system of rules a community accepts as regulating the actions of its members. Whether these are legislative statutes, decisions by judges or traditions, the body of law defines what is allowed and not allowed, and provides guidelines for a just society. As a result, the study of law requires a certain amount of rigor to be done well. A good understanding of law is essential to those who work in legal professions such as lawyers, judges and police officers.
Law can be broken down into two broad categories, civil and criminal. Civil law deals with judicial procedures and the rights of individuals against the state, while criminal law outlines how crimes are punished or how punishments are assessed. The discipline also contains areas of public and private law, as well as international law, which involves the relations between states and their citizens.
The study of laws is a complex subject, and many different ideas and theories have been developed on how the system works. One of the main issues is the extent to which law incorporates morality. Those who argue that there are innately moral and unchanging laws of nature, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau or Thomas Aquinas, form the school of thought called natural law. Others, such as Jeremy Bentham and John Austin, use utilitarian reasoning to explain how law functions. Utilitarians maintain that a legal system is necessary to keep society in order, and that the concept of law includes commands backed by the threat of sanctions.
Various legal systems are in place worldwide. Some countries, such as the United States, use a common law system, which relies on judicial decisions to make its rules rather than legislation. These rulings are compiled and stored as case law. Other nations, such as Japan, have a civil law system, which is based on specific codes of law that define what judges must do to reach their conclusions.
Most modern governments employ a mixture of both types of law. The laws of a nation are influenced by its culture, history and geography. The laws may also be impacted by a constitution, whether written or tacit, and the rights encoded within it.
Other laws are more specific in nature, such as competition law or consumer law. These are aimed at controlling the activities of businesses to protect the interests of consumers. Other specific laws include tax law, employment law and family law. These laws can change rapidly as they are shaped by the needs of the society and the concerns of politicians. As a result, it is important for lawyers to be aware of all these changes as they assist their clients. This ensures that they are providing a service that is up to date and relevant. This is particularly important as laws can be amended at any time by the legislature or by courts. The practice of law is overseen by a number of independent governing bodies, including the Bar Council or Law Society. Lawyers must meet a number of requirements before being able to practice, such as passing a qualifying exam and undergoing training.