Law is the system of rules that a society or government develops in order to deal with criminal behaviour, business agreements and social relationships. It is also a term used to describe the people who work in this system, whether they are judges or barristers.
Generally, there are three categories of Law: civil law, common law and codified law (or civil code). In legal systems based on the principle of “stare decisis”, decisions by higher courts bind lower courts. This is an important part of the process that ensures that similar cases reach similar conclusions and reduces bias in judicial rulings.
The law of gravity, for example, is a scientifically proven principle that states that objects fall to the ground in the same way, at the same rate and under the same conditions regardless of their weight. Other laws, such as those that govern traffic and the safety of aircraft are based on scientific evidence.
Commercial law, for instance, covers all of the complex contract and property principles that form the basis of the modern world economy. This includes rules governing the creation and operation of businesses, such as company law, tax law and banking law.