Law

Etymology

The noun law derives from the late Old English lagu, meaning something laid down or fixed Etymonline Dictionary and the adjective legal comes from the Latin word lex. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary

Description

Law refers to a rule capable of enforcement. The study of law penetrates any boundaries of the social sciences and humanities. While not all law is enforced, to be a legitimate law, it must be capable of being enforced. It has been defined as a "system of rules", as an "interpretive concept to achieve justice, as in "authority" to mediate people's conflicting interests, and even as "the command of a sovereign, backed by the threat of a sanction". Regardless of how it functions, it is a central institution of progressive society.

Legal policy is influenced by most social sciences and humanities as law enjoins the domain of politics, philosophy,history and economics, because any rule of contract, tort, property law, labour law, company law and more have long lasting effects on the cultural wealth of groups of people.

Quote

Might does not make right, but it does enforce the commonly recognized rights of each succeeding generation. The prime mission of government is the definition of the right, the just and fair regulation of class differences, and the enforcement of equality of opportunity under the rules of law.[1]

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References

1. Crimes Against Humanity by Geoffrey Robertson, ISBN 9780141024639
2. The Concept of Law Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-876122-8
3. Law's Empire ISBN 0674518365
4. The Authority of Law, Oxford University Press
5. The Providence of Jurisprudence Determined by John Austin