Law is a set of rules created and enforced by societal or governmental institutions to regulate behavior. Law is a social science with a rigorous methodology and a broad spectrum of applications. See articles on the legal profession; legal education; and legal ethics for more information. Law as a discipline is largely concerned with the principles and practices of civil society, and its exact definition is a topic of ongoing debate. Law is also related to the discipline of Political Science, and is used in a number of articles dealing with political systems; such as constitution; ideology; and political party.
The use of the word “law” in Scripture generally focuses on the commands and regulations of the Mosaic covenant. The Old Testament scriptures are often referred to as the Law of Moses. Paul uses the term law metaphorically in some contexts to refer to spiritual principles that free a person from sin (see Rom. 8:2).
In the legal system, a court is the entity that hears lawsuits brought by plaintiffs and defendants and decides their rights. A judge and court clerks are judicial officers, while lawyers represent their clients in court cases. The judge’s official decision is a judgment. A jury pool is a group from which the actual jurors are chosen to hear a case. The process of selecting the actual jurors is called voir dire. A temporary restraining order is an official court ruling that prohibits one person from doing something that would cause immediate harm to another, and lasts until a hearing can take place.
