Law is a system of rules that make up the framework of how people can behave in society and sets out rights, duties and penalties for breaking them. It is enforced by the state and people must obey it or face sanctions, such as fines or imprisonment. The purpose of law is to ensure that all people in a country have the same basic opportunities, are treated fairly and with respect, and are protected from harm. It also helps to keep societies safe, prevents corruption and provides checks on the power of those in authority.
Countries have laws for all kinds of things, such as a legal code for the overall framework and details of how society works, or laws to regulate industries like banking or energy. People can also have private laws between themselves, such as contracts. The law can cover topics from marriage and divorce to inheritance and ownership of property. Many types of law are created by politicians in a legislature, parliament or congress, elected by the governed peoples. The laws they make will depend on their political ideology and ideas about what is best for society. For example, utilitarian philosophers like Jeremy Bentham have argued that law is commands, backed by the threat of punishment from a ruler that people have a natural tendency to obey. Others, such as the social contract theorist John Locke or the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau have argued that law reflects morally unchanging natural principles.
The development of law has been influenced by the history of the human race and of the different cultures it has been a part of. For instance, in the early days of civilization, people developed a legal system that was heavily influenced by religious and cultural beliefs and books like the Vedas or the Bible. Other influences have included ancient Egypt, the law of the Code of Hammurabi, and modern jurisprudence (the study of how judges decide cases).
Corporations are another group that creates laws for their own benefit. They do this by using tools such as campaign donations and advertising to persuade people that their policies are good, and that they will help the economy. The laws they create can range from contracts to the rules of mergers and acquisitions, and can be applied globally or regionally.
Other areas of law include international law, which sets out rules on how countries can act in the world and protects the rights of people living abroad. Family law covers marriage, divorce and the rights of children, while transactional law involves business and money. Biolaw focuses on the intersection between law and the life sciences. Law also relates to social issues such as discrimination and asylum. For more information, see article on law and social justice.