What Are the Key Features of Law?

Law

Generality is one of the key features of law. In fact, the constitutional antipathy against Bills of Attainder reflects this requirement. Law cannot function without particular orders, but the generality requirement usually means that the making of particular laws should be guided by general rules that operate impartially and impersonally.

Principles of the Rule of Law

The rule of law is a fundamental component of constitutional democracy. It provides equal protection for all people, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. It ensures that people can plan their lives and affairs with confidence that they will be treated fairly and impartially. The rule of law also makes sure that officials do not use arbitrary or capricious methods when governing their people.

Relationship between law and political structures

While there is a lot of discussion about the relationship between law and political structures, it can be difficult to determine exactly how these two phenomena relate to one another. This debate often involves competing views on the origins of law. One major view, which has some affinities with Marx’s, is that law is the product of social practices and institutional facts. These influences shape the content of the legal system. Another view, which is more positivist, is that laws are a product of social forces.

Impact of legislation on the Rule of Law

The Rule of Law is an important principle in the modern world, and it is a universal value. It ensures that a country is run according to its laws, and all entities must adhere to this principle. Almost all countries adhere to this principle, and the United Nations regularly identifies it as a priority. In fact, the Rule of Law is one of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Legal realism

Legal realism is a naturalistic approach to law that emphasizes empirical evidence. The view holds that jurisprudence should reflect the scientific methods of natural science, in which hypotheses must be tested against observations of the natural world.

Formalism

Formalism in law is a theory of legal rules. It is both a descriptive and normative theory. It argues that the principles of law are not merely arbitrary, but are rooted in the structure and function of the legal system.

Access to justice

Access to justice in law is a fundamental component of a functioning society. It entails ensuring that individuals understand their legal rights, protect them, and obtain a fair and just result. Moreover, it assures that the outcome of a legal action will be enforceable under the law.