Law is a discipline and profession that is concerned with the customs, practices, and rules of conduct that are binding on a community and enforced by its controlling authority. It permeates every aspect of society, influencing relationships, governance, commerce, and individual rights. Its diversity and evolving nature underscore its importance in shaping and preserving human civilization.
In the context of human societies, laws are the rules that govern a state or country’s people and institutions, and provide for its security and stability. The concept of law can be viewed from a variety of perspectives, and encompasses many different fields, including jurisprudence (the study of law), sociology, ethics, philosophy, political science, history, and economics.
The term “law” can also refer to the principles, norms and standards that a society chooses to uphold and enforce through its institutions, for example in the form of constitutions, governmental structures, judicial systems, or civil societies. The idea of the rule of law, first developed by philosopher Max Weber, is one such principle that seeks to ensure that all citizens, including those in government, are accountable to publicly promulgated and equally enforced legal codes and processes.
This includes accountability of the State to the law, the rule of reason in judging legal cases, the separation of powers, participation in decision making and access to justice. It also aims to avoid the rule of force, i.e., the Hobbesian war of all against all. This notion has been criticized by those who argue that coercion is an essential part of law, and therefore it is not a form of ‘rule’.
Other views of the meaning of law include the societal view that laws are based on morals and therefore are intrinsically good, while others define law as the power to control and punish. Yet, despite the fact that coercion is an intrinsic part of the definition of law, most societies do not consider themselves at the mercy of those who make and enforce their laws. This is largely due to the fact that citizens can elect their government officials, and thus hold them accountable for their actions and policies.
The varying fields of law encompass the whole of human activity, from sex crimes and drug trafficking to intellectual property rights and environmental protection. Commercial law outlines the exchange of products and services between entities, while employment law is governed by tripartite industrial relationships between employer, worker and trade unions. Criminal and civil procedure outline the rules that courts must follow as trials and appeals are adjudicated. Aviation law covers the safety regulations and standards for aircraft and pilots, which are mostly aligned with the recommendations or mandatory standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO. Other fields of law also exist in the academic world, such as international law, anthropology and cultural law. Each of these disciplines has their own unique perspective on the meaning of law. These perspectives are influenced by social, cultural and ethical concerns as well as historical and philosophical traditions.