Law 421

Law 421






Role and functions of Law
Bob Griffiths
LAW/421
November 10, 2014
Rachel DeAngelo
Role and functions of Law
Former President Abraham Lincoln was quoted as once saying, “Law is nothing else but the best reason of wise men applied for ages to the transactions and business of mankind” (Fehrenbacker & Fehrenbacker, 2014). This quote sums up the importance of our legal system. Laws help to keep society intact and regulate how we treat each other on both social and business levels. The following paper will discuss the roles and functions of Law in both business and society. The paper will also discuss the role Law plays regarding the product development as it relates to the metal construction industry.
What is Law?
To begin a discussion, there must first be an understanding of the definition that the role and functions law plays in business and society. According to Melvin, “a generally accepted generic definition of the Law is a body of rules of action or conduct prescribed by controlling authority, and having legal binding force” (Melvin, 2011).
Law Types
There are three basic classifications for the many roles that law serves in business and society. Firstly there are Criminal and Civil Laws. Criminal laws are the laws through which public commitment of crimes are prosecuted as filed by the government. Criminal laws are for the safety of society. Civil laws are those which private parties may bring lawsuits against each other. “Civil laws are designed to compensate parties (including businesses) for losses as a result of another’s conduct” (Melvin, 2011). For example, a criminal law would prosecute the theft of merchandise from a store, while civil law would prosecute the harm caused due to slipping and falling down on private property. The second classification of laws is Substantive and Procedural Laws. Substantive laws are those that deal with legal relationship between people or the governments. “Substantive law provides...

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