Law is a system of rules that enforces order and equity in society. It encompasses a wide range of legal concepts and issues, from contracts to the criminal justice system. The practice of law is usually overseen by a government or independent regulating body, such as a bar association or law society. Lawyers often achieve distinct professional identity through specified procedures (such as passing a qualifying exam), have a specific academic qualification (usually a Bachelor of Laws or a Juris Doctor degree) and are constituted in office by legal forms of appointment (being admitted to the bar).
The study of law has many different branches. Labour law, for example, examines the tripartite industrial relationship of worker, employer and trade union and involves collective bargaining regulation and the right to strike. Criminal law is concerned with the punishment of offenders, whether by imprisonment or fines. Tort law covers compensation for harm caused to people or their property, such as in an automobile accident or defamation of character. Family law, property law and tax law are other areas of civil law.
Criminal law and international law are important branches of a comprehensive understanding of law. Law is a powerful tool for the state, and it is used to control the lives of citizens by controlling the behavior of private individuals and governing corporations. In this sense, the law is used for both good and bad purposes, such as in restraining the activities of terrorist organizations and in protecting the rights of citizens in a democratic society.
Critics of the rule of law argue that laws are arbitrary, and that their power comes from the threat of force rather than from its own merits. They also point to the tyrannical rule of Nazi Germany and Saddam Hussein, where the law was used to justify brutal dictatorships. Max Weber and others have reshaped thinking on the extension of law’s power into private and public affairs, and have urged that core human rights be protected by laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated, and that ensure separation of powers, participation in decision making and legal transparency.
Legal systems vary worldwide in their form and function. Civil law is the dominant form of law in most countries, covering about 60% of the world’s population. It is based on Roman and canon law, with the addition of local custom and culture. The remaining 40% of the world’s population is covered by common law, which includes India and much of eastern Asia. The common law tradition has a mix of secular and religious influences, while the other civil traditions reflect a blend of traditional religions. The most recent development in the globalization of law is the growth of transnational commercial law, which applies to multinational businesses and international treaties. This is a new form of international law, largely driven by economic forces and globalization. It is a more limited form of law than the international law that governs the conduct of states.