Authors: Hermet, Badie, Birnbaum & Braud
Summary: In this entry of about 200 words the author offers a definition of the term isolating three meanings of it: the first one indicates a written norm, promulgated by a state or a community legislative authority; the second one refers to a whole of not always coherent moral rules, but belonging to the same category (i.e. divine law; moral law); the third one refers to the regular observation and to reliability of certain scientific facts.
Law in its first meaning has an inferior status compared with constitution, meanwhile is superior to rules and ministerial decrees. In the end the authors warn the reader from confusing the concepts of loi and droit which are both translated in English with the same word 'law'.