ABSTRACT
Law has both written and unwritten sources. The written sources are the constitution, the law code and the court judgements. Broadly, the whole legal structure can be divided into two segments—civil law and common law. The system of common law is constituted by the law of England and that of those countries to which it migrated and, in the process, included the local religious and customary features. There is a basic contradiction in the term 'personal law'. A person is an individual. As such, any right of an individual should mean that it is a personal right. Traditionally, Hindu law is a combination of shashtric injunctions and customary traditions. In respect of women living under Muslim personal law across the world, the International Solidarity Network of Women Living Under Muslim Personal Laws (WLUML) has been active since 1984 to make Muslim women aware of their rights. This chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
