Law is a set of rules imposed on people by authorities such as governments and that must be obeyed or punished. There are a wide variety of laws covering a huge number of different topics and situations, including criminal law, civil law, family law, property law, labor law, and others. The precise definition of law is debated, but most agree that it is a body of rules or guidelines enacted and enforced by a society in order to regulate behavior. It has many functions, but the principal ones are establishing standards, maintaining order, resolving disputes, and protecting liberties and rights.
A legal system can have a variety of purposes and goals, from keeping the peace to promoting social justice, with different systems serving these roles more successfully than others. For example, an authoritarian government may keep the peace and maintain the status quo, but this can also oppress minorities or political opponents. In contrast, a democracy keeps the peace, promotes social justice, and allows for peaceful, orderly social change, but it can also become corrupt or fail to provide sufficient justice.
The law can be divided into a number of branches, each dealing with a particular type of agreement or relationship, such as contract law, criminal law, or family law. The field of law studies the nature and history of these branches, as well as the philosophy of the law and the ways in which it relates to human societies.
The word law is also used to refer to the field of study of the law, and to a lawyer’s career. Zola dreamed of a career in the law, and she worked hard in school to be able to pursue her goal.
Law can also refer to a certain kind of behavior, such as being a “law unto oneself” or taking the riskiest option in a situation. These examples are often seen as good or bad, depending on the context and the person using the term. A police officer is an example of someone who tries to preserve law and order.
Oxford Reference offers authoritative, concise definitions and in-depth, specialist encyclopedic entries on every aspect of the law—from ancient Egyptian law and Chinese law to the latest developments in international law and judicial review. In addition, articles detail the major types of law that exist in the world today and explore the philosophy of the law, as well as issues such as censorship, crime and punishment, and war and the military. The law is an enormous and complex subject, but this resource provides a handy starting point for research.