Law is a body of rules created and enforced by human societies to regulate behaviour. It is a complex area of study that includes a wide range of scholarly inquiry such as legal history, philosophy and economic analysis. It also raises important issues of equality and fairness in society.
Law consists of rules and regulations that are devised by humans in order to establish a system of standards, maintain order and resolve disputes and protect liberties and rights. It is a fundamental concept in the modern world. It encompasses both natural and positive laws. The latter are laws that are based on human reason and views of nature as well as being sanctioned by divine revelation. Natural laws include a principle that there are certain things that are known to be true in all circumstances, such as the fact that apples fall down from trees.
The principles of natural law form the basis of most types of law. In addition to these principles, there are some other key concepts related to law. These include a right to life, liberty and security of person; equality before the law; access to justice; the independence of judges and the impartiality of their decisions; public participation in legal proceedings; and accountability of government as well as private actors.
The areas of law include civil law, criminal law, family law, labour law, property law and taxation law. A broad area of law that is gaining in importance is space law, which deals with the international regulation of activities of humankind in Earth orbit and outer space.