Law is the system of rules and regulations a society develops to deal with issues such as criminal acts, business agreements and social relationships. It may also refer to the people who work within this system, such as lawyers and judges.
Legal systems vary widely, even within a single country. However, they tend to be organized into groups based on historically accepted ideals of justice.
Civil law systems are found on all continents and cover around 60% of the world’s population. These are based on concepts, categories and rules inherited from the Roman and Germanic legal traditions, often supplemented by local culture and custom.
Criminal law deals with conduct considered harmful to the social order, and aims to ensure that those who break the law are punished for their actions. Civil law deals with the resolution of lawsuits (disputes) between individuals or organizations.
The study of law covers many topics, ranging from the history and philosophy of law to economic analysis and sociology. It raises important and complex questions about equality, fairness and justice.
Blackstone argued that judges should decide cases without regard to their personal opinions or prejudices and that their decisions should be guided by divine law (a set of principles codified in scripture), natural law (a general sense of right and wrong) and the common law of precedent. This is a view that still underpins much of the judging process today.