Law is a set of rules or principles that determines the behavior and rights of people and groups in society. It provides a framework for conflict resolution and the distribution of property, explains how governments are run and regulates how private citizens interact with their government and each other. Laws protect individuals’ liberty and property, govern the conduct of businesses and public officials and ensure a safe and secure environment.

Laws can be created and enforced in a variety of ways, including by statute, ordinance or case law. They can be public or private, and they can be written or unwritten. Laws can be derived from many sources, including religion, philosophy and science. They can also be influenced by social and cultural norms and customs, which are often described as mores.

In general, laws are based on human elaboration rather than on divine revelation. This elaboration process typically involves interpreting religious scriptures, like the Jewish Halakha and Islamic Sharia, as well as a system of precedent, Qiyas (reasoning by analogy), Ijma (consensus) and jurisprudence.

A legal principle stating that judges must follow their earlier decisions, known as caselaw, when deciding new cases with similar facts. This is a core element of the rule of law and serves to prevent judges from being influenced by their own biases or prejudices.

One of the goals of law is to establish order in a community by ensuring that all individuals respect each other’s rights and obey the same rules. It also helps to limit the power of the state by requiring that government officials and police act in a reasonable and fair manner.

Ultimately, the purpose of law is to protect individual freedom and promote prosperity and stability by providing a foundation for economic activity. The law allows for dispute resolution in a peaceful and organized way. For example, if two people are fighting over ownership of an item, the court can decide who owns it and award them with compensation. In addition, the law prevents crime by establishing punishments for those who commit crimes.

The law also imposes some restrictions on the activities of people and organizations in society, such as censorship, crime and punishment, and war. The resulting collection of legal limitations is commonly called law and order or civil society. Other important aspects of the law include family and criminal justice systems. For an analysis of the ethical implications of these limitations, see ethics; censorship; crime and punishment; and peace and war.