Law
Types of law
There are three main types of law relevant to governance design:
- natural law: law assumed inherent in every person
- customary law: informal law developed through practice
- positive law: formalized, codified law.
Most of the laws controlling our actions today are positive law — law codified or made explicit by humans. An employment contract is an example of positive law, as are other forms of private law. Positive law also includes public law such as regulation and criminal law.
Customary law refers to law which humans have not systematically expressed. Before the last two centuries, unwritten laws were a primary way humans peacefully interacted with one another.