Law is a body of rules made by a community that are enforced by the members of that community through a controlling authority. These rules are designed to keep order, resolve disputes and protect liberty and rights.

It can also be used to refer to a particular set of rules, such as those of a specific country or region. For example, murder is against the law in most places, meaning that people who break this rule may be punished. The term can be used to describe behavior that is instinctive or spontaneous as well, such as attempting to save one’s life in danger.

In a legal sense, laws are enacted by governments and codified by judges in court decisions. These decisions can be based on precedent (stare decisis), case law, the constitution and other legal doctrines. In common law systems, court decisions are given equal status with legislative statutes and executive regulations. In some religions, law is explicitly based on religious precepts such as Jewish Halakha or Islamic Sharia.

The concept of law is a complex one, and its definition can vary significantly depending on the context and historical period in which it is being discussed. Roscoe Pound, for instance, defined law as a means of social control that is coercive in nature and where conflicting pulls of political philosophy, economic interests and ethical values fight for recognition. Hans Kelsen, on the other hand, created a theory of law that describes it as a normative science that simply defines certain rules to abide by.