ABSTRACT
The law is composed of two legal systems – national law and international law. As regards national law, it has different appearance in different countries. Although there can be no simple answer to the question ‘What is law?’ nevertheless, there are some common characteristics that unite the law in all its forms, distinguishing it from other normative phenomena. At the same time, the book defines the general notion of law primarily with an emphasis on the formal characteristics of law and mainly with the purpose of highlighting the specifics of international law. Consequently, on the one hand, to introspect into the peculiarities of international law, it is necessary to have a clear picture of the complex meaning of law. On the other hand, in order to understand the specifics of international law, a reader needs to compare it with their understanding of national law. Hence, by adding this chapter in such a comparative form, the book differs from traditional textbooks, and this is one of the advantages of the book.
