Law is the set of rules that governs a society. People must follow these rules or face punishment if they break them. These laws can be made by the government or by people who are not part of the government.
Law can be categorized into four main categories: obligation, property, contract and civil procedure. The first category, obligation, deals with obligations between two or more people; property focuses on the possession of goods, land and services.
Obligations relate to the ability to do things, for example, buying a car or registering your home. The second, property, concerns ownership of things such as buildings, land or jewellery.
A third category, contract, deals with the transferring of rights from one person to another. Examples of contracts include contracts between people, and those between companies and their employees.
Company law, for instance, involves the forming and running of companies. It also covers other business issues, such as insolvency and bankruptcy law.
Commercial law, on the other hand, covers more complex matters, such as negotiating and enforcing contracts. It includes company law, trusts, intellectual property, tax and other areas of legislation regulating business.
Courts, in the form of judges and tribunals, are responsible for administering the law. They can also issue rulings that determine if someone has committed a crime or acted illegally.
These courts can also give people a chance to appeal their decision if they are unhappy with it. This is known as a judicial review.
Often, when people are upset with something that has happened to them, they will go to the court to ask for help. The judge can decide if the situation is fair or not, and they can make sure that everyone has a chance to be heard.
The law aims to serve the people and to protect their rights and freedoms. It also serves other purposes, such as establishing standards and maintaining order in society.