Law | Definition, Systems, Institutions, & Fields | Britannica

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law, the discipline and profession concerned with the customs, practices, and rules of conduct of a community that are recognized as binding by the community. Enforcement of the body of rules is through a controlling authority.

Key People: Abraham Lincoln Francis Bacon Clarence Thomas John G. Roberts, Jr. Cicero (Show more) Related Topics: property law procedural law inheritance constitutional law international law (Show more) See all related content

The law is treated in a number of articles. For a description of legal training and a general background, see legal profession, legal education, and legal ethics. Articles that delineate the relationship of law to political structures are constitution; ideology; political party; and political system. For articles that discuss the importance of law regarding social justice and other social issues, see human rights; land reform; and social service. For an examination of comparative legal systems and the relationship of the law to the social sciences, see comparative law. For a description of canon law, see canon law. For a description of Islamic law, see Sharīʿah. For a description of Jewish law, see Talmud and Midrash. For an analysis of the role of law in the administration of government, see administrative law. For an exposition of social restrictions and their enforcement, see censorship; crime and punishment; and police. For a description of the legal aspects of war and the military, see war, law of. For a discussion of legal philosophy, see law, philosophy of. For an exposition of various types of historical and contemporary legal systems, see Chinese law; civil law; common law; court; Egyptian law; European law; Germanic law; Greek law; Indian law; Israeli law; Japanese law; Roman law; Scandinavian law; Scottish law; Soviet law; and Welsh law. For international aspects of law, see international law; and United Nations. For an examination of the laws covering specific fields, see agency; air law; bankruptcy; carriage of goods; commercial transaction; contract; constitutional law; criminal law; family law; inheritance; labour law; maritime law; medical jurisprudence; procedural law; property law; tax law; and tort.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Brian Duignan.