Law is a system of rules that are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior. It shapes politics, economics, history and society in various ways and serves as a mediator of relations between people.
Laws are established by decrees, edicts or ordinances of absolute princes, as emperors and kings; by formal acts of legislatures of free states; and by judicial decisions in common law jurisdictions. They are also influenced by a written constitution, which encodes the rights of citizens in the context of a particular society.
Among the facets of law are municipal laws, which regulate the conduct of citizens in the public domain; commercial law, which governs trade and commerce between merchants; military law, which enacts rules for the government of armies or military forces; marine law, which sets forth rules regulating navigation and the commercial intercourse of nations; and criminal law, which lays down punishments for crimes committed within the scope of a legal regime.
Legal tradition is the source and development of a country’s legal system. It reflects the historical roots of that nation’s culture, values and political attitudes.
The first step in any legal research is to locate primary sources of law, such as statutes, regulations or judicial decisions. Secondary sources of law are those that discuss or explain the law, such as treatises and legal encyclopedias. Other resources that establish law include legal newspapers, legal journals and casebooks.