చట్టం అనేది పాలక అధికారం ద్వారా ఏర్పాటు చేయబడిన నియమాలు, నిబంధనల సమితి. చట్టం యొక్క ఉద్దేశం క్రమాన్ని నిర్వహించడం, న్యాయాన్ని నిర్ధారించడం, వ్యక్తిగత హక్కులను పరిరక్షించడం, మొత్తం సమాజ సంక్షేమాన్ని ప్రోత్సహించడం.

Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the art of justice. State-enforced laws can be made by a group legislature or by a single legislator, resulting in statutes; by the executive through decrees and regulations; or established by judges through precedent, usually in common law jurisdictions. Private individuals may create legally binding contracts, including arbitration agreements that adopt alternative ways of resolving disputes to standard court litigation. The creation of laws themselves may be influenced by a constitution, written or tacit, and the rights encoded therein. The law shapes politics, economics, history and society in various ways and also serves as a mediator of relations between people.