Key Branches of Law: Definitions and Scope

Constitutional Law: State Organization & Rights

Constitutional Law is formed by the rules contained in the most important laws of a state. No other law can contradict it without being declared unconstitutional. It defines the organization of state powers, the rights and duties of residents, and establishes the fundamental principles upon which the political-legal and social framework rests.

Administrative Law: State Operations & Public Interaction

The Administrative Law is the set of rules governing the operation of the state and administrative power, including the interactions between different administrative bodies and their relationship with individuals. This branch of law originated with the French Revolution.

Criminal Law: Punishable Acts & Penalties

The Criminal Law comprises the rules governing punishable acts committed by individuals—those considered criminal offenses for which legal norms prescribe a penalty. A key characteristic of criminal law is its strict adherence to the principle of legality: for conduct to be subject to criminal sanction, it must completely coincide with the description provided by the legal standard, without the possibility of applying analogy.

Procedural Law: Court Procedures & Judicial Application

Procedural Law contains the rules that must be followed in legal proceedings before the courts. This includes modes of presentation, time periods, and the rules that judges must adhere to when applying the law in their sentences.

Civil Law: Private Relations & Personal Matters

Civil Law regulates relations between individuals, whether natural persons, legal entities, or even the state itself when it acts outside its sovereign power and authority. It is one of the most widely applied branches of law, encompassing various relationships such as:

• Property relationships
• Personal relationships
• Neighborhood disputes
• Family matters
• Inheritance

Business & Commercial Law: Regulating Trade

The Business Law, also known as Commercial Law, is responsible for regulating the activities of merchants and their trade relations, commonly referred to as acts of commerce.

Labor Law: Employer-Employee Relations & Worker Rights

Labor Law pertains to the relations between employers and employees, establishing their reciprocal duties and rights. It specifically focuses on the protection of the weakest party in the relationship: the worker.

International Private Law: Cross-Border Individual Relations

The International Private Law regulates relations between individuals residing in different countries or involving events that span multiple states.

Public International Law: State & Organizational Relations

Public International Law governs relations between individual states or international organizations.