Law
hideLaw is a system of rules, usually enforced through a set of institutions. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a primary social mediator in relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus ticket to trading on derivatives markets. Property law defines rights and obligations related to the transfer and title of personal and real property. Trust law applies to assets held for investment and financial security, while tort law allows claims for compensation if a person's rights or property are harmed. If the harm is criminalised in penal code, criminal law offers means by which the state can prosecute the perpetrator. Constitutional law provides a framework for the creation of law, the protection of human rights and the election of political representatives. Administrative law is used to review the decisions of government agencies, while international law governs affairs between sovereign nation states in activities ranging from trade to environmental regulation or military action. Writing in 350 BC, the Greek philosopher Aristotle declared, "The rule of law is better than the rule of any individual."
Legal systems elaborate rights and responsibilities in a variety of ways. A general distinction can be made between civil law jurisdictions, which codify their laws, and common law systems, where judge made law is not consolidated. In some countries, religion still informs the law. Law provides a rich source of scholarly inquiry, such as legal history and philosophy, or social scientific perspectives such as economic analysis of law or the sociology of law. The study of law raises important and complex issues concerning equality, fairness, liberty and justice. "In its majestic equality", said the author Anatole France in 1894, "the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread." In a typical democracy, the central institutions for interpreting and creating law are the three main branches of government, namely an impartial judiciary, a democratic legislature, and an accountable executive. To implement and enforce the law and provide services to the public, a government's bureaucracy, the military and police are vital. While all these organs of the state are creatures created and bound by law, an independent legal profession and a vibrant civil society inform and support their progress.
For more information about Law, read the full article at
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News tagged with law
Eureqa, the robot scientist (w/ Video)
Technology / Computer Sciences
Dec 07, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (15) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new program, Eureqa, takes raw data and formulates scientific laws to suit, and it is available by free download to all scientists.
Rhino poaching surges in Asia, Africa
Dec 01, 2009 |
not rated yet |
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Rhino poaching worldwide is on the rise, according to a new report by TRAFFIC and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Search results for law
Abortion looms as possible health bill deal killer
Dec 23, 2009 |
not rated yet |
2
(AP) -- The way abortions are covered under health care reform is a major obstacle to finalizing the legislation, even though the House and Senate both agree that no federal money should be used.
Feds mull regulating drugs in water
Dec 22, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
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(AP) -- Federal regulators under President Barack Obama have sharply shifted course on long-standing policy toward pharmaceutical residues in the nation's drinking water, taking a critical first step toward regulating some ...
New study finds catch shares improve consistency, not health, of fisheries
Dec 22, 2009 |
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Catch share programs result in more consistent and predictable fisheries but do not necessarily improve ecological conditions, according to a new study published online this week by the journal Proceedings of the National ...
Wis. court backs $5.6M fee award against Microsoft
Dec 22, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
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(AP) -- An appeals court is ordering Microsoft Corp. to pay $5.6 million to a national law firm involved in a Wisconsin antitrust case against the software giant.
Would a Google purchase of Yelp draw regulatory interest?
Dec 21, 2009 |
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Google Inc.'s reported plans to acquire local-listings service Yelp may face difficulties, with regulators attuned to the Mountain View, Calif.-based company's established dominance of the Internet-search and advertising ...
Health Care bill clears key Senate test
Dec 21, 2009 |
3.2 / 5 (5) |
6
(AP) -- Landmark health care legislation backed by President Barack Obama passed its sternest Senate test in the pre-dawn hours early Monday, overcoming Republican delaying tactics on a 60-40 vote that all ...
Researcher explains mystery of golden ratio
Dec 21, 2009 |
2.6 / 5 (21) |
7
The Egyptians supposedly used it to guide the construction the Pyramids. The architecture of ancient Athens is thought to have been based on it. Fictional Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon tried to unravel ...
Free after 35 years: DNA clears Florida inmate
Dec 18, 2009 |
5 / 5 (5) |
1
(AP) -- For years, James Bain insisted he was home watching TV with his twin sister when a 9-year-old boy was kidnapped and raped.
Analysts warn that FTC suit could damage Intel
Dec 18, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (3) |
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The Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit against Intel Wednesday -- the most far-reaching in a string of recent regulatory actions -- poses a huge threat to the Santa Clara, Calif., chip giant and could reshape the semiconductor ...
French court orders Google to stop scanning French books
Dec 18, 2009 |
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0
A French court on Friday told Google that it cannot digitise French books without publishers' approval and ordered the online giant to pay 300,000 euros (430,000 dollars) in damages.
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