law

Law generally refers to a system of rules created and imposed by social or governmental institutions to regulate behaviour, with its precise definition as a matter of long-standing debate. It has been variously described as the science and art of justice. State-imposed laws may be made by a collegiate legislature or by a single legislature, resulting in laws; by the executive branch through decrees and regulations; or established by judges through precedent, usually in common law jurisdictions. Individuals may create legally binding contracts, including arbitration agreements that adopt alternative methods of resolving disputes to standard court litigation.