Law is a set of rules which are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to manage conduct, 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 may be made by a group legislature or by a single legislator, resulting in statutes; by the chief by way of decrees and regulations; or established by judges through precedent, usually in widespread law jurisdictions. Private individuals could create legally binding contracts, together with arbitration agreements that adopt alternative ways of resolving disputes to plain courtroom litigation. The creation of legal guidelines themselves could also be influenced by a structure, written or tacit, and the rights encoded therein.
- However, Athens had no authorized science or single word for “law”, relying instead on the three-way distinction between divine law (thémis), human decree and custom (díkē).
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