Law is the body of rules, customs and principles that govern a community and are enforced by a central authority. Law serves a variety of functions, such as maintaining peace, maintaining the status quo, preserving human rights, and fostering social justice. Different legal systems serve these functions in different ways. For example, an authoritarian government may keep the peace and maintain the status quo but it can also oppress minorities or opponents. The law is also a tool for regulating the economy and a means of shaping politics and history in various ways.
Different legal systems have different defining features, such as whether they are common law or civil law. The United States, for example, is a common law country that does not have statutes but relies on judicial decisions to determine what is law. The decisions of higher courts are binding on lower courts through a doctrine called stare decisis. Civil law countries, such as Japan, on the other hand, have statutory laws and follow codes that are explicitly written down.
The law is a powerful force that shapes politics, economics, history and society in many different ways. Creating the best possible law requires a deep understanding of the issues and problems that it deals with. In addition, good law writing must be clear and concise and avoid jargon and overly long paragraphs.
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