Law is a system of rules that govern a society and the behaviour of people in it. It has many purposes but its main ones are establishing standards, maintaining order, resolving disputes and protecting liberties. It has a number of sub-topics such as criminal, property and labour laws. Lawyers are the experts who practice law and have a distinct professional identity acquired through a legal qualification, such as a Bachelor of Laws or a Juris Doctor degree.
Some systems of law are based on religious precepts, such as the Jewish Halakha and Islamic Sharia. Other systems are based on human elaboration, such as case law and judicial precedent (stare decisis). These are known as “common law” countries. They are distinguished by their relatively short legal statutes, clear explanation of rights and duties, and flexibility to adapt to new social situations through judicious interpretation and creative jurisprudence.
Other systems of law are based on civil law traditions, which are mostly found in continental European countries and their colonies such as Africa and the Far East. Civil law includes detailed statutory systems that provide for the ownership of property in land and its attachments, including titles, deeds, contracts and mortgages, as well as complex registries. It also entails complex rules of evidence that dictate what can be used in court cases and what must be excluded. In this case, decisions by higher courts bind lower courts under the principle of stare decisis.