Poznámky: Právna komunikácia v angličtine

INTRODUCING LAW

There is no generally agreed definition of law, though many legal writers have attempted to define law. For example an English writer, Sir John Salmond, defined law as "the body of principles recognised and applied by the state in the administration of justice". A simpler definition is that law is a set of rules. These rules become law when they are recognised by the majority of the people in a country and given government backing to enforce them in the country as a whole, in other words recognised and applied by the state".

There are people who believe there should be no laws at all. These people are called anarchists, but it is difficult to imagine how any society would operate without at least some rules. When dealing with law - the term morality should be also looked at. What is the relationship between law and morality? In many areas of law, there will be an overlap between the legal regulations and the rules set forth by morality. The main problem with morality and fairness is that people in societies have different views of what is right and what is fair. This is one of the reasons why laws are different in different countries.
It is not surprising that law is a "living phenomenon". It has its own dynamics and it changes. The law changes as a result of many things:
1. Membership of the European Union - countries willing to join the EU have to introduce new laws to bring it into line with European law.
2. Technological progress - is one of the major factors influencing the changes of law. Normally, new inventions lead to new laws.
3. Government policy - different political parties may have different opinions on various branches of law. The composition of the Government and of the law making bodies may influence the law, especially in areas such as taxation and social welfare.