ABSTRACT
Law is all-pervasive. It exists in every cell of life. It affects everyone virtually all of the time. It governs the air we breathe, the food and drink that we consume, our travel, sexuality, family relationships, and our property. It applies at the bottom of the ocean and in space. It regulates the world of sport, science, employment, business, political liberty, education, health services; everything, in fact, from neighbour disputes to war. The law in the United Kingdom has evolved over a long period. The American comedian, Jerry Seinfeld put it like this: To me a lawyer is basically the person who knows the rules of the country. The thirteenth-century Italian philosopher, and Dominican friar, St Thomas Aquinas set law in the context of nature. The rule of law is now widely regarded as a desirable feature of social governance.
