4.4 Kinds of Law

(Classification — learn the pairs.) Natural law vs positive law — the law of reason/nature vs the law of the state (Unit 2.1's battlefield). Municipal vs international law — law within a state vs law between states (Austin doubted the latter was "law properly so called"; the modern view rejects his doubt). Public law vs private law — state and citizen (constitutional, administrative, criminal) vs citizen and citizen (contract, tort, property, family). Substantive vs procedural law — what the rights are vs how they are enforced (the Codes of 2074 vs the Procedure Codes of 2077 — Nepal's own neat illustration). Civil law vs criminal law — wrongs against individuals (compensation) vs wrongs against society (punishment) — see Unit 5.3. Imperative vs non-imperative (Austin's own division) — commands proper vs laws by analogy (custom, international law — his awkward cases). General vs special laws — law for all vs law for a class (the Muluki Ain once made caste-wise law for each; the 2074 Codes abolished that logic — the jurisprudential meaning of "equality before the law").