Law is a set of rules made by a government or community that governs the behavior of people within a particular territory. It deals with crimes, social relationships, business and property, among other things.
The most commonly used definition of Law is that it is a set of rules created by the state that citizens must follow or face punishment. This can include a fine or jail time. It can also include other punishments, depending on the crime and the law broken. For example, murder is illegal in most places and people who commit the crime will likely be punished.
A more complicated definition of Law is that it relates to the goals of a society and its institutions. For example, a nation’s law may serve to “keep the peace, maintain the status quo, preserve individual rights, protect minorities against majorities, promote social justice, and provide for orderly social change.” Some legal systems do these things better than others. For example, a nation ruled by an authoritarian dictator may keep the peace but will oppress minorities and political opponents. Likewise, the laws of a country can be arbitrary or bad, but so long as the sovereign has the power to enforce them, they are still law.
Other important aspects of a law are that it is public, understandable and accessible to all, and that core human and procedural rights are protected. This is a challenging goal for any legal system and is not easily achieved.