Roles and Functions of Law

ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF LAW

Laws have been put into place to serve as an organization to society. The role and functions of law can best be summed up in three categories. These categories are Criminal and Civil law, Substantive and Procedural law, and Public and Private law. These few categories will be explained in detail to explain the role and functions of law as it pertains to business and society. Also being discussed is how role of law in the medicine as it pertains to HIPPA.

Categories of Law

One of the post prominent types of law people hear about in the news is criminal and civil law. Criminal law deals with intentionally harming someone or something; deliberately or recklessly doing something that can cause harm to a person’s property or person. Typically evidence is gathered, given to a district attorney and potentially taken before a judge in a court of law. Whereas civil law is neglect that can potentially cause harm to another individual (Bushman, 2007). This also includes land and buildings. With civil cases it is a dispute that takes place between private parties. Other cases that fall into this category are divorce, child custody, and division of property cases that represent Family law. Civil law cases can be disputed through attorneys and a mediator and may or may not be taken before a judge and a jury.

Another category is procedural and substantive law. Procedural law is a formal process in which legal rights are enforced. Procedural law comes from state and federal rules that are first made up by constitutional law. Ensure Due process, regulated by statutory law, and has no independent powers. Substantive law is people vs people or people vs the state. Substantive law is regulated by Act of Parliament or by government implementation (Bushman, 2007).

Public and Private law is the last set of laws that are categorized. Public law can be described as