Law is the system of rules a society or government develops in order to control things like crime, business agreements, and social relationships. It is enforced through a controlling authority, such as police or a court, that punishes people who break the laws through fines or imprisonment. Laws can be written by legislators, in a legislature (like parliament or congress), resulting in statutes; created by executive decrees or regulations; or established through case law, in a common law jurisdiction.

Most countries have a constitution that sets out the overall framework of the law, with further laws making it more specific for things like how to conduct a business or the rights of people. The legal system also includes courts that resolve disputes, and a supreme authority which has the power to remove laws that go against the constitution.

A court of law is a group of judges that resolves people’s disputes and determines the guilt or innocence of criminal suspects. The judiciary is an institution that is often regulated by the law, and judges are given specific qualifications through a legal process. A lawyer is a person who practices law, and modern lawyers are generally qualified through a formal process of education that culminates in a Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws or Juris Doctor degree. Legal professionals must also be regulated by the law, through an independent governing body such as a bar association or law society.