Law is a set of rules that govern social institutions and people. Typically, it is overseen by a government. But there are also private organizations that make legally binding contracts.
The United Nations has been instrumental in addressing the issues of the international dimension and promoting progressive development of international law. Its legal work includes human rights, international humanitarian law, environmental protection, and combating terrorism.
There are several major branches of the United Nations. These include the General Assembly, the International Law Commission, and the Legal (Sixth) Committee.
The International Law Commission promotes codification of international law. The Commission consists of 34 members from around the world. They represent the principal legal systems of the world and discuss issues of international law with specialized UN agencies.
In contrast, civil law systems usually deal with less detail. However, they are still based on a democratic basis. Rather than a single judicial decision, a civil law system has a series of decisions that are made by judges.
As an art, law is often seen as the intermediary between the people and the state. It shapes the social and economic structure of a country.
Legal systems can be split into three categories: common law, civil law, and religious law. While each has its own characteristics, they all share a number of common features.
Common law legal systems use a doctrine of precedent. This means that a decision by a higher court will bind future decisions by the same court.
