Law is a set of rules and practices imposed by a superior social or governmental authority, typically to regulate relationships and society. It shapes politics, economics, history and society in various ways, and it serves as a mediator of relations between people. It is based on various societal viewpoints such as those of rationality, justice, morality and order.
Legal subject matter is diverse, with the most traditional core subjects including contract, criminal and property law. However, there are many other areas of law such as taxation; banking and financial regulation; public utilities (water, energy and telecommunications); medical jurisprudence; international law; and family law.
Some of these laws are based on specific statutes, while others are based on case law or judicial decisions. The latter, called binding precedent or stare decisis, means that lower courts must follow a higher court’s decision in similar cases. Some courts have the power to review their own decisions, while others cannot.
Several different fields of law exist, each with its own unique rules and terminology. For example, a lawyer is known as an Esquire when they have passed the bar exam and are licensed to practice law, and a Doctor of Law when they have earned a law degree. In a courtroom, attorneys are called counsel or advocates. Prosecutors are the government’s lawyers in criminal matters, and defendants are represented by a public defender if they can’t afford an attorney. Those who appear pro se, meaning they are representing themselves in a civil matter without a lawyer, are known as litigants.