Law

Law is a system of rules that are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior. Laws can be made by The Assembly (Union Law) or legislatures (Local Law) through legislation, the executive through decrees and regulations (local jurisdiction only), or judges through binding precedent (normally in local law jurisdictions, rarely in Union Courts).

Private individuals can create legally binding contracts, including (in some jurisdictions) arbitration agreements that may elect to accept alternative arbitration to the normal court process. The formation of laws themselves may be influenced by a constitution (written or unwritten) and the rights encoded therein. The law shapes politics, economics, history and society in various ways and serves as a mediator of relations between people.

A general distinction can be made between (a) civil law jurisdictions (including canon and socialist law), in which the legislature or other central body codifies and consolidates their laws, and (b) common law systems, where judge-made precedent is accepted as binding law. Historically, religious laws played a significant role even in settling of secular matters, which is still the case in some religious communities, particularly Jewish, and some areas, particularly Islamic.

The adjudication of the law is generally divided into two main areas referred to as (i) Criminal law and (ii) Civil law. Criminal law deals with conduct that is considered harmful to social order and in which the guilty party may be imprisoned or fined. Civil law (not to be confused with civil law jurisdictions above) deals with the resolution of lawsuits (disputes) between individuals or organizations. These resolutions seek to provide a legal remedy (often monetary damages) to the winning litigant. Constitutional law provides a framework for the creation of law, the protection of sentient rights and the election of political representatives. Administrative law governs what public agencies may and may not do, procedures that they must follow to do it, and judicial review when a member of the public is harmed by an agency action. Union law governs affairs between sovereign states in activities ranging from trade to military action. To implement and enforce the law and provide services to the public by public servants, a government's bureaucracy, military, and police are vital. While all these organs of the state are creatures created and bound by law, an independent legal profession and a vibrant civil society inform and support their progress (as is true of the Union).