Law is the system of rules that governs a country or region. It consists of legal precedent and statutory laws passed by legislatures and executive regulations enforced by courts. Law also covers the rights and liberties of citizens against government oppression.

For example, the law protects property against unauthorized intrusion and ensures that individuals are treated fairly in civil and criminal trials. In a constitutional democracy, the power to make and enforce laws is exercised by a democratically elected legislature, the executive branch, or the courts. The law defines how the country is governed and sets out a framework for relationships between nations, and among different states within a nation. The law can include rules about trade, military conflict and the rights of refugees.

In most countries, the law is codified in a constitution or a body of statutes and court decisions. The governing principle of the law is the rule of law, which is the concept that all people are subject to the same legal rules and are free from discrimination, exploitation or violence. The rule of law is a fundamental component of democracy and human rights.

The law includes rules about how to settle disputes and the penalties that may be imposed for violating the laws. For example, the law determines how to punish a person who steals money or commits murder. The law also establishes the rights and responsibilities of employees, contractors, business partners, and shareholders in a company. The laws can include the minimum wage, maternity leave, safety standards, and employment termination procedures.

Most countries have a mix of common and constitutional law, with the latter describing how the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the government operate together. In addition, most countries have a code of ethics and a set of principles for judicial conduct.

In some countries, the law is based on religious precepts, such as Jewish Halakha or Islamic Sharia. These laws are often further elaborated through interpretation, Qiyas (reasoning by analogy), and Ijma (consensus).

Many fields of law have their own names, such as medical jurisprudence, aviation law, maritime law, or commercial law. Some of the most important and recognizable laws are contracts; tort law (which determines how much compensation one can receive for being injured by another’s negligence); civil rights, which provide protection against discrimination; intellectual property laws, which protect inventions; and criminal law, which deals with violations of a country’s moral codes.

The study of law requires considerable knowledge about the history and philosophy of law, as well as an ability to interpret current legislation, statutes and case law. A lawyer’s job is to help others understand and apply the law. The laws are a complex foundation of social life and have far-reaching implications. They shape what is possible, how to organize society and who is in control of it. They are the basis for debates about everything from how to make the judging class more diverse to whether it is appropriate to use personal feelings and opinions when deciding cases.