It is backed by the coercive power of the state, which enforces the law by means of appropriate penalties or remedies. Formal legal rules and actions are usually distinguished from other means of social control and guides for behavior such as mores, morality, public opinion, and custom or tradition. Of course, a lawmaker may respond to public opinion or other pressures, and a formal law may prohibit what is morally unacceptable. Law serves a variety of functions. Laws against crimes, for example, help to maintain a peaceful, orderly, relatively stable society.
Courts contribute to social stability by resolving disputes in a civilized fashion.
Property and contract laws facilitate business activities and private planning. Laws limiting the powers of government help to provide some degree of freedom that would not otherwise be possible. Some experts believe the popular view of law overemphasizes its formal, coercive aspects. They point out that if a custom or norm is assured of judicial backing, it is, for practical purposes, law. On the other hand, a statute that is neither obeyed nor enforced is empty law.