Law is a system of rules and regulations that are governed and enforced by a political authority and the legal system.

Law began when over time skills were specialized forcing greater interaction and dependency between people.

Increased interaction caused by laws required rules and regulations to maintain order within a community by providing security for each member.

Law maintains order by guaranteeing future planning and creating a sense of physical security and security of your property.

Law has always existed through rules developed as customs or traditions.

In a few societies law was written down, such as the Code of Hammurabi, the first laws written down.

The first communities with the law only needed simple laws but, over time the laws needed to be more complex.

Laws became more complex because of population increases which led to more conflict, technological advances, and immigration patterns.

Laws today focus on ensuring security and enforcing codes of conduct.

Laws do not always equal justice.

Law does not equal justice because laws are written and objective and are difficult to deter from.

Law does not equal justice because laws are decided by a majority and cannot always answer the needs of all.

Laws do not equal justice because laws are enforced by judges who use their discretion on how the laws are applied.

Ethics is a set of principles or moral values of a society, distinguishing right from wrong.

Laws will sometimes reflect ethics and sometimes will conflict with ethics.

Ethics can develop law by clearing up ambiguity caused by law.

Ethics become law when it gains a large consensus amongst the population and addresses an issue and is considered a serious threat to the well-being of the community.

Private law is the rules that regulate the legal relationship between individual citizens.

Examples of private law include contract law, employment law, commercial law, and property law.

Public law rules govern the relationship between citizens and their state.

Examples of public law include criminal law, tax law, highway law, and bankruptcy law.

Civil law is when legislative authority makes and codifies the law.

Common law is when the basis for the law is in precedence and case law or jurisprudence.

The three elements that make up the legal system include the legislative mechanism, the laws, and the administration and enforcement of laws.

The legislative system decides how laws are applied.

Laws are the rules of behavior imposed or accepted by society.

The administration and enforcement of laws is a system to impose punishment for breaking the law.