Law is a system of rules created by the state that form a framework to ensure a peaceful society. The state enforces these rules by imposing sanctions when they are broken. Generally, laws apply to everyone throughout the country, but there are also laws that apply to specific groupings, such as those that govern young people or drivers. Laws may be based on principles or they may be derived from a constitution, written or tacit. The field of law is vast and many books and debates have been dedicated to exploring it.

Legal systems are broadly categorised as common law, civil law, religious law or customary law, but there are many variations within each category. Almost all states have a government department or agency that deals with the administration of justice and the creation and enforcement of law. The term lawyer is used for those who work in the legal profession, and there are a number of different qualifications that can be attained, including an LLB (Law degree), LLM (Master of Laws) and LL.B (law degree).

The main purpose of law is to create a framework for human behaviour. It is intended to promote peace and prosperity, and the creation of laws often involves a complex balance between competing interests. Ideally, laws should be fair and just, but this is not always possible in practice. Moreover, even the best-designed laws can be abused by individuals with ulterior motives or by institutions that seek to advance their own agendas.

Because law is stated in general terms, it must be interpreted and applied to individual cases. This process of interpreting the law is known as case law, and it involves reading past judgments in order to select those that are relevant to current arguments or situations. It is often argued that the interpretation of the law should be as close to the original intention of the legislature as possible. The Latin maxim, “ex tota materia emerget resolutio” suggests that a judge should read a statute in its entirety and give meaning to every word.

However, it is also suggested that the law should be able to adapt to changing circumstances, and this process of interpretation is known as statutory construction. This style of interpretation is sometimes described as hermeneutic, and it involves discovering the ‘true meaning’ of legislative words in order to apply them to contemporary situations. It is contrasted with the more narrow and literal approach of textualism, which requires judges to rely on the explicit words of a statute and refuse to consider changes in social conditions or policy.