Law is the set of rules enforceable by social or governmental institutions for the purpose of regulating behavior and maintaining order. Its precise definition is a subject of longstanding debate. Law can be enacted by a legislature or parliament, resulting in statutes; enacted by the executive via decrees or regulations; or established through court decisions as case law. It can also be created by private individuals, who create legally binding contracts and arbitration agreements that adopt alternative ways of resolving disputes to standard court litigation.
The nature of laws varies widely from place to place, with some legal systems having more power than others. The chief purposes of law are establishing standards, maintaining order, resolving disputes and protecting liberty and rights. The degree to which a legal system achieves these goals depends upon many factors, including the structure and function of government and the social and cultural context of the nation.
In most modern nations, the governing powers are divided into the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the state. This framework for government, called the separation of powers, helps to ensure that no single person or organization can gain too much power over the rest of society. The legal system is designed to prevent such abuses of power by ensuring that each branch has some level of scrutiny over the actions of the others.
It is not easy to understand the workings of a particular legal system without a thorough knowledge of its history and culture. The most common of these legal systems are derived from English law, with some of the more recent ones having been developed along French and German lines.
In some countries, such as India and Malaysia, there is a mixture of common and civil law traditions. There are also some countries that use only one of the two, such as Australia, Barbados, Bahamas, Botswana, Cyprus, Fiji, Guyana, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, Singapore and the United States (both the federal and 49 of its 50 states).
The study of law involves gaining an in-depth understanding of how the various components of a legal system work together. A great deal of complexity arises from the fact that different types of law are governed by distinct sets of rules: for example, a country may have both common and civil law, but each type has its own rules for how to interpret those laws in a given circumstance. In addition, decisions made by higher courts or judges carry more weight than those of lower courts. The result is a complex web of rules that can be difficult to understand and apply. The practice of law is often a highly competitive and challenging field. Law students must pass a rigorous examination and undergo a lengthy legal education. Then, they must be admitted to the bar before practicing law. Some lawyers choose to focus on specific fields, such as tort law or family law. Others prefer to work as in-house counsel for large corporations or governmental agencies.