Overview of Law and Its Branches

Definition: A system of rules created and enforced through social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior.

Criminal Law
- Governs crimes and their punishment.
- Types: felonies (serious crimes) and misdemeanors (less serious crimes).
Civil Law
- Deals with disputes between private parties.
- Examples: contract disputes, property law, family law.
Constitutional Law
- Involves interpretation and implementation of the constitution.
- Protects individual rights and outlines government structure.
Administrative Law
- Regulates government agencies and their rule-making processes.
- Ensures accountability and transparency.
International Law
- Governs relations between nations.
- Includes treaties, trade agreements, and international human rights laws.

Constitution: Supreme law of the land; establishes government structure and rights.
Statutes: Laws enacted by legislatures.
Common Law: Law developed through court decisions and precedents.
Regulations: Rules made by government agencies based on statutory authority.

Adversarial System: Used in common law countries; relies on opposing parties to present their case.
Inquisitorial System: Used in civil law countries; judge plays an active role in investigating and questioning.

Filing a Case: Initiation of legal proceedings by submitting a complaint.
Discovery: Exchange of evidence and information between parties.
Trial: Examination of evidence in front of a judge (or jury) to reach a verdict.
Appeal: Request to a higher court to review the decision of a lower court.

Due Process: Legal requirement that the state must respect all legal rights owed to a person.
Precedent (Stare Decisis): Legal principle that binds courts to follow decisions of previous cases.
Statute of Limitations: Time period within which a legal action must be initiated.

Legal Technology: Increasing use of AI and technology in legal processes.
Access to Justice: Focus on making legal systems more accessible to all individuals.
International Human Rights: Growing emphasis on laws protecting human rights globally.

Law is a system of rules that guides behavior, enforced by social institutions or governments.

Criminal Law focuses on crimes and their punishments.
- Includes felonies (serious offenses) and misdemeanors (less serious offenses).
Civil Law governs disputes between individuals or entities.
- Examples include contract disputes, property ownership, and family law.
Constitutional Law involves interpreting and implementing a country's Constitution.
- Protects basic rights and outlines the government structure.
Administrative Law regulates government agencies and their rule-making processes.
- Ensures accountability and transparency.
International Law governs relations between nations.
- Includes treaties, trade deals, and international human rights laws.

Constitution: The supreme law of a land, establishing governmental framework and individual rights.
Statutes: Laws created by legislative bodies.
Common Law: Developed through court decisions and precedents (past rulings).
Regulations: Rules made by government agencies based on their legal authority.

Adversarial System: Used in common law countries, where opposing parties present their case independently.
Inquisitorial System: Used in civil law countries, with the judge actively investigating and questioning.

Filing a Case: The initial step, involves submitting a formal complaint to start legal proceedings.
Discovery: The stage of information exchange between parties, including evidence and documents.
Trial: The examination of evidence before a judge (or jury) to determine the verdict.
Appeal: A request to a higher court to review the decision of a lower court.

Due Process: Ensures that legal rights are respected by the state in all legal proceedings.
Precedent (Stare Decisis): Legal principle where courts are bound to follow past rulings in similar cases.
Statute of Limitations: Time limit within which specific types of legal actions can be filed.

Lawyers: Represent clients in legal matters and advise on legal issues.
Judges: Oversee court proceedings to ensure fairness and justice.
Jurors: Citizens selected to hear evidence in trials and decide on the verdict.
Legislators: Elected officials who create laws.

Legal Technology: Increased use of Artificial Intelligence and technology in legal processes (e.g., legal research, document analysis).
Access to Justice: Focus on making legal systems accessible to all, regardless of their resources.
International Human Rights: Growing emphasis on internationally recognized laws protecting human rights.