Law is the body of rules and practices that are recognized as binding by a community and enforced through a controlling authority such as government or social institutions. Laws can encompass anything from contracts to constitutions, statutes to guidelines, and court decisions to rules of procedure. Laws regulate relationships, governance, commerce, and even individual rights.

Laws can be viewed in different ways, with some theories emphasizing certain elements over others. For example, natural lawyers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau argue that laws reflect innate moral principles of order, justice, and fairness. Other definitions, such as those of Hans Kelsen, imply that law is a normative science that does not seek to dictate what must happen but only defines the rules for people to follow.

The purpose of law is to promote societal order, keep the peace, and maintain stability; but the extent to which it accomplishes these goals differs from nation to nation. For example, an authoritarian regime might keep the peace and maintain the status quo but may oppress minorities or opposing political opponents (e.g., Myanmar under the military junta). This view of law as simply power backed by threats is often contrasted with other views that emphasize the role of law in keeping society stable and orderly. This includes the notion of the rule of law, which stipulates that all individuals are equal before the law and no one, including highly placed officials, is above it.