Law is a system of rules created and enforced through social or government institutions to regulate behavior and protect property. The term can also refer to an individual person or group who applies these laws. A strong rule of law is essential for promoting democracy and good governance, and providing people with access to public services and protection from abusive authority. It is also necessary for economic development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Law encompasses many different areas of practice, including criminal, civil and administrative law. Criminal law is concerned with regulating crime and punishing people who commit crimes. Administrative law includes the regulation of businesses and public services. It can be applied to a variety of fields, such as transport, education and health care. Civil law is concerned with the relationships between individuals, such as marriage and divorce. It can also be applied to business and commerce.
The sources of law can be legislative, resulting in statutes or decrees, executive, resulting in regulations, or judge-made, resulting in case law. The latter is usually guided by the principle of stare decisis, which means that a court’s decisions will be largely based on precedents set in previous cases. Common law systems tend to be more procedural, with judicial decisions having less legal weight than in European civil law jurisdictions.
Religion is sometimes a source of law, especially in the form of religious precepts or codes. The Jewish Halakha, Islamic Sharia and Christian canon are examples of this type of law. Other sources of law are derived from human elaboration, such as legal reasoning through analogy and Qiyas or Ijma (consensus), and from the application of historical precedent.
Some nations rely on an authoritarian form of government to maintain peace and the status quo. This form of government may, however, oppress minorities and prevent social change. In contrast, other nations have a democratic form of government that promotes the rights and freedoms of all citizens and is not dominated by the interests of any one group. In addition, the rule of law is a key objective in international relations and development, including the promotion of human rights and equality between men and women. The rule of law also requires transparency and openness in government, which is necessary to protect civil liberties and encourage private sector investment. It also includes the protection of property rights, intellectual property and natural resources. These objectives are not easy to achieve. The rule of law has a significant impact on the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world.