The Role and Functions of Law

Today’s Business

Law in business today plays a very important role. As defined by businessdictionary.com, law is the binding rules of conduct meant to enforce justice and prescribe duty or obligation. Laws are the regulations that ensure proper conduct, and dispute resolutions and ensure criminal actions are properly handled and enforced with a consistent judicial standard.

Federal vs. State

Our federal court structure is made up of three separate courts; the United States District Court, Circuit Court or Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court. These courts are responsible for handling cases that deal with the constitutionality of a law, laws and treaties of the U.S., or ambassadors and public ministers. Federal courts will also hear cases that are disputes between two or more states, and bankruptcy issues. Our local state courts although made up of four separate courts, they hear a smaller scale of cases. The Virginia court system begins in either the General District Court or the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. From there cases can escalate to the Circuit Court, from there the Court of Appeals, or the Virginia Supreme Court. The local court system hears criminal cases, cases involving wills and estates, and most personal injury or family law.

Judicial Review

By definition Judicial review is the power to a court to adjudicate the constitutionality of the laws of a government or the acts of a government official. If the courts decide that a legislative act is unconstitutional, it is nullified. The concept behind Judicial review is for the courts to decide if the actions of the legislative and executive branches of government are valid. If they are deemed invalid, the court will cancel out the act or decision by the government. (Turner)

US Foods

A merger between Sysco and US Foods was planned to be completed by the end of 2015. However a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking Sysco’s acquisition of US Foods (Kendall). Ultimately that ruling led to the demise of the planned merger. Laws and regulations came in to play when discussing the merger of my present employer and even on day to day activities such as product