Law

=== Analytical jurisprudence ===
{{main|Analytical jurisprudence}}

There have been several attempts to produce "a universally acceptable definition of law". In 1972, [[Dennis Lloyd, Baron Lloyd of Hampstead|Baron Hampstead]] suggested that no such definition could be produced.<ref name="Jurisprudence. Third Edition 1972. Page 39">[[Dennis Lloyd, Baron Lloyd of Hampstead]]. ''Introduction to Jurisprudence''. Third Edition. Stevens & Sons. London. 1972. Second Impression. 1975. p. 39.</ref> McCoubrey and White said that the question "what is law?" has no simple answer.<ref>Mc Coubrey, Hilaire and White, Nigel D. ''Textbook on Jurisprudence''. Second Edition. [[Blackstone Press Limited]]. 1996. {{ISBN|1-85431-582-X}}. p. 2.</ref> [[Glanville Williams]] said that the meaning of the word "law" depends on the context in which that word is used. He said that, for example, "[[early customary law]]" and "[[municipal law]]" were contexts where the word "law" had two different and irreconcilable meanings.<ref>Williams, Glanville. International Law and the Controversy Concerning the Meaning of the Word "Law". Revised version published in Laslett (Editor), ''Philosophy, Politics and Society'' (1956) p. 134 et seq. The original was published in (1945) 22 [[British Year Book of International Law|BYBIL]] 146.</ref> [[Thurman Arnold]] said that it is obvious that it is impossible to define the word "law" and that it is also equally obvious that the struggle to define that word should not ever be abandoned.{{sfn|Arnold|1935|p=36}} It is possible to take the view that there is no need to define the word "law" (e.g. "let's forget about generalities and get down to [[Case law|cases]]").<ref>[[Dennis Lloyd, Baron Lloyd of Hampstead|Baron Lloyd of Hampstead]]. ''Introduction to Jurisprudence''. Third Edition. Stevens & Sons. London. 1972. Second Impression. 1975.</ref>

One definition is that law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behaviour.{{sfn|Robertson|2006|p=90}} In ''[[The Concept of Law]],'' [[H. L. A. Hart]] argued that law is a "system of rules";{{sfn|Campbell|1993|p=184}} [[John Austin (legal philosopher)|John Austin]] said law was "the command of a sovereign, backed by the threat of a sanction";{{sfn|Bix|2022}} [[Ronald Dworkin]] describes law as an "interpretive concept" to achieve [[justice]] in his text titled ''[[Law's Empire]]'';{{sfn|Dworkin|1986|p=410}} and [[Joseph Raz]] argues law is an "authority" to mediate people's interests.{{sfn|Raz|1979|pp=3-36}} [[Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.|Oliver Wendell Holmes]] defined law as "the prophecies of what the courts will do in fact, and nothing more pretentious."<ref>Holmes, Oliver Wendell. "The Path of Law" (1897) 10 ''Harvard Law Review'' 457 at 461.</ref> In his ''[[Treatise on Law]],'' [[Thomas Aquinas]] argues that law is a rational ordering of things, which concern the common good, that is promulgated by whoever is charged with the care of the community.<ref>Aquinas, St Thomas. ''Summa Theologica''. 1a2ae, 90.4. Translated by J G Dawson. Ed d'Entreves. (Basil Blackwell). Latin: "nihil est aliud qau edam rationis ordinatio ad bonum commune, ab eo qi curam communitatis habet, promulgata".</ref> This definition has both [[Legal positivism|positivist]] and [[Natural law|naturalist]] elements.<ref>McCoubrey, Hilaire and White, Nigel D. ''Textbook on Jurisprudence''. Second Edition. Blackstone Press Limited. 1996. {{ISBN|1-85431-582-X}}. p. 73.</ref>