Law is a set of rules and regulations enforced by governmental or social institutions to regulate behavior. It is often interpreted as a form of justice or fairness, but its precise definition is a matter of debate. Law shapes politics, economics, history and society in many ways. It serves several major purposes, including establishing standards, maintaining order, resolving disputes and protecting liberties and rights.

Law may be created or enacted by groups or individuals through legislation, resulting in statutes; by the executive branch, resulting in decrees and regulations; or by courts through precedent, resulting in court decisions. A legal system’s laws may also be influenced by a constitution, whether written or tacit, which lays out basic political and ethical principles for the country.

For example, tort law covers compensation for harms to people or their property. Criminal law covers the punishment of offenders. Labour law encompasses the regulation of tripartite industrial relationships between workers, employers and trade unions. Laws on censorship, crime and the military are also considered part of law.

The term law is used broadly to refer to any set of rules that an authority makes and must be followed. It can also refer to informal social rules, such as a parent’s house rules or a person’s instinctive actions in an emergency situation. In the context of justice, law means a system of rules that is just and equitable in applying its penalties. As the following quote from Martin Luther King shows, the rule of law should ensure that “men do not live above the law, but are under it — governed not by men over it, but by men under it.” It also implies that all people and institutions, including those with government power, are subject to existing laws.