C/L/57. Jurisprudence: Law and Society

The essence of this work is to explain the relationship between law and society. It has therefore been necessary to explore the historical origins of the law within a socio-legal context. In the first part of the essay, it is examined the definition of law within a socio-legal context. Next, it is looked at the methods and functions of the law, in this respect; it is identified two main functions of the law. They are social control and dispute settlement. The paper has then gone on to deal with the perception of law in the modern day society. In this vein it is talked about how society influences the development, application and changing nature of the law, in this section it is also touched upon how changes in the society can be brought about through the law. This is exemplified by the fact that law can be both a dependent and independent variable in social change. Finally it has been looked at the interrelated concepts of morality and justice in the context of the relationship between law and society.