Law is the body of rules and customs that a particular society recognizes as binding on its members. Depending on the societal viewpoint, this includes principles of rationality, justice, morality, order and honesty. Law extends to acts, policies, statutes and guidelines and also to judicial decisions, decrees, orders and injunctions. It is a field of study for lawyers, jurists and academics.

In its simplest form, law is the set of guidelines that defines a society’s social and economic structure and ensures that all people have access to justice. It also ensures that people cannot abuse their power over others. In the United States, for example, this is reflected in the constitution’s separation of powers, which limits the amount of power that one person or group can have over the other.

It is difficult to give a definitive definition of law, as different legal systems have different laws and individuals have differing ideas about what a law is. However, a consensus has emerged around a few basic theories about what a law is and how it works.

The natural law school of thought is that a law is simply a collection of rules that are enforced by the state in order to create a peaceful society. This school of thought believes that a government can only exist as long as there are checks and balances on the power of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. This prevents any individual or group from gaining too much power and controlling the nation.

Alternatively, John Austin’s theory of law is that a court decides what a law is. He believed that law is a product of custom and societal beliefs. Law should always conform to a society’s common consciousness, and not the other way round. Hans Kelsen also formulated the idea of a pure law which is that a law is a rule that is created and obeyed by the state. He also believed that a law is an instrument for changing behaviour and making people act in a certain manner.

Another important aspect of law is that it should be fairly clear, consistent and stable so that people can plan their actions over time with a reasonable degree of confidence about the legal consequences of their actions. This includes the principle that all individuals, regardless of their wealth or status, will face equal legal consequences for committing a crime or other offence. It also means that the law should be understandable to all. This is particularly important in post-conflict or developing countries. It is also a fundamental element of the rule of law, which is a term coined by Max Weber to refer to the notion that all citizens have certain core human and procedural rights, regardless of where they live or what sort of social system they belong to.