Law is a system of rules that a country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members. These rules are enforced by a controlling authority through penalties. For example, a police force may punish those who break the law with fines or even imprisonment. Ultimately, law shapes politics, economics, history and society in many ways.
The legal systems of most countries have a number of different types of laws, each with its own characteristics. For example, the United States uses a common law system that relies on judicial decisions to determine what the law is. These decisions are then compiled into books called case law. Some countries, such as Japan, use a civil law system that sets out the rules judges must follow when deciding a case.
Law includes many different topics such as criminal, constitutional, administrative, property and tort law. For example, criminal law deals with how the government protects its citizens from crimes like murder and burglary, while administrative law outlines the rules that govern how governments operate. Property law outlines the rights people have to their houses, cars and other possessions. Tort law helps people claim compensation (repayment) from those who hurt them or damage their property. Intellectual property law protects people’s creations, such as music, art and literature, through a system of copyrighting, while trademark law covers the right to a company name or logo. Finally, competition law concerns the way businesses can be controlled to avoid unfairly distorting prices for consumers.