Law is a system of rules that can be enforced by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior. It is a complex field that encompasses a wide range of subjects and spans virtually every area of life.
Introduction
Legal justification is the basis for determining whether or not something is a “right” in a particular context. Justification is typically grounded in a legal norm, such as “every person has a right in their good name”.
The term “right” is often used to refer to any claim, privilege, power or immunities that can be legally established. However, some rights are more specific than others.
Claims, privileges and powers can manifest as either rights in personam or in rem. A right in rem allows compensation for the loss of something, but not a particular thing back. This is commonly associated with property law, including land and possessions.
Similarly, rights in personam can include the ability to appoint other people to take action on one’s behalf, such as a trustee or executor. These are often found in contract and agency law.
In addition, there are also a number of different areas within law that can be defined as involving the application of rights. These include:
Essentially, the legal system commits itself to treating people as its primary units of concern. This is reflected in the concept of rights, which many argue is fundamental to a good law system.
