What is a law?

What is a law?

We explain what a law is and what is the purpose of these legal regulations. In addition, types of laws, their characteristics, and real examples.

What is a law?

A law is a  mandatory legal rule or norm issued by the competent authority of a territory. Its purpose is to allow or prohibit some actions by individuals with the aim of regulating human behavior and achieving a  harmonious coexistence within a society.

They are of a coercive nature, this means that in the event that the laws are not complied with, the public force has the duty and obligation to sanction the corresponding person or institution. For this reason, many times individuals must submit to the laws despite not agreeing with them.

types of laws

First, the concept of law can be understood in two ways:

• natural law. The set of laws that emanate from nature and govern all spaces of creation, are irrevocable, eternal, and invariable. They were not created by man so they do not respond to the will of the people. For example the Law of  Gravity.
• positive law. A set of rules established by the competent authority of a territory to guarantee the order in a society must be complied with by all citizens and cannot go against natural laws.

Positive laws are classified based on certain criteria:

According to the mode:

• Permissive laws. They allow the subject to perform certain actions.
• prohibitive laws. They penalize the subject who carries out certain behaviors.

According to rank:

• organic laws. They regulate fundamental rights and public liberties and require a majority in the legislative body to be approved.
• ordinary laws. They regulate specific matters that do not affect the fundamentals of organic laws, which is why they require a simple minority in the legislative body to be approved.
• Constitutional Laws.  They detail or elaborate on some precept of a constitutional nature.

According to the origin or sense:

• formal laws. Rules are formulated by the legislature regardless of their content.
• material laws. General and obligatory norms that emanate from other competent authorities.

According to the scope of the application:

• federal laws. They are promulgated and are valid throughout the territory of a nation.
  local laws. They are promulgated by the legislative body of a province or state and are valid only in that territory.

  What Is Law? What Is The Purpose Of The Law?

Characteristics of the laws

• compulsory.  They must be respected and complied with by all citizens who are in the territory in which these laws apply, even when they go against the will of the individual. The lack of knowledge of the law is not an excuse for its non-compliance.
• Impersonal.  They are created to be applied to an indeterminate group of subjects and not to a single person.
• abstract.  They are applied in all cases, which implies a number of cases not established or particularized.
• Permanent.  They are formulated with an indefinite and permanent character, they only cease to be valid when they are subrogated, abrogated or repealed by subsequent laws.
• unretroactive. They regulate events that take place after their sanction, so they do not apply to behaviors prior to their appearance.
• Generals.  They are applicable to all individuals, without exception.
• coercive. Its non-compliance implies the imposition of a penalty or punishment.
  • implies the imposition of a penalty or punishment.

  What are the laws for?

  Laws are fundamental tools to maintain social order within a territory. They establish the attitudes that individuals are expected to have and prohibit those that go against the common good or the rights of citizens.

  The laws are sanctioned in order to protect the rights and establish duties and obligations that guarantee the correct development of individuals and society.

  All nations or states have their own laws, these are usually written and must be known by all members of the territory in which they govern. The laws promote equality among citizens because everyone must comply with the law equally and no exceptions or distinctions of any kind can be made.

  Difference Between Law and Norm

  The concept of "law" and that of "norm" are related since laws are considered a type of norm.

  The norms are the provisions or rules that regulate the behavior of individuals to guarantee order and development within a society. There are social, moral, religious, and also legal norms. Laws are a type of legal norm, as well as decrees, regulations, and treaties.

  What differentiates legal norms from the rest is that they have a mandatory and coercive nature, that is, all members of society are obliged to comply with them, otherwise they will be penalized.

  examples of laws

  Argentina:

  • Law 26,206 – National Education Law
  • Law 27,533 – Law for the comprehensive protection of women.
  • Law 27,490 – Law for the creation of marine protected areas.
  • Law 21,671 – Law prohibiting the cultivation, possession and sale of opium, marijuana and coca.
  • Law 26,657 – National Mental Health Law.
  • Law 26,165 – General Law for the recognition and protection of refugees.
  • Law 25,577 – Law prohibiting the hunting of cetaceans throughout the national territory.

  Mexico:

  • Law of sustainable rural development.
  • Law of general import and export taxes.
  • Federal film law.
  • Federal law for the promotion of micro-industry and craft activity.
  • Federal law to prevent and eliminate discrimination.
  • General law on the rights of children and adolescents.
  • General law to prevent, punish and eradicate crimes in the matter of trafficking in persons and for the protection and assistance of the victims of these crimes.

  Chilli:

  • Law 21,105 – Law that encourages the inclusion of people with disabilities in the world of work.
  • Law 21,175 – Law on the promotion of the performing arts.
  • Law 21,100 – Law that prohibits the delivery of commercial plastic bags throughout the national territory.
  • Law 19,451 – Law that establishes rules on transplantation and organ donation.
  • Law 20,501 – Law that guarantees the quality and equity of education.
  • Law 19,680 – Law that prohibits the use and sale of fireworks.
  • Law 19,523 – Law that establishes regulations on the protection, promotion and development of indigenous people and creates the national corporation for indigenous development.