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The essence of law and the nature of international law
Customary law family In the customary law family countries, certain patterns of behaviour (or customs) are accepted as legal rules of conduct. These are, as a rule, unwritten and are frequently distributed by elders, passed down from generation to generation. Customary law practices can be observed in the mixed national legal systems family countries, where they have combined with the elements of the civil law or common law families. The infuence of the customary law family may be seen in some Asian and African nations.
Religious law family In the religious legal family countries, the law originates from the religious texts and traditions (for instance, nowadays, the Islamic law tradition countries).
Mixed national legal systems family In the mixed national legal systems family states, two or more of the previously mentioned legal families operate together.
The interplay between the legal families These different families of national law crosscut each other’s boundaries and operate under permanent interaction, sharing each other’s experience and, at times, departing from the original trademark characteristics.
THEORIES OF LAW philosophy of law natural law legal theory legal positivism law of nature positive law rule of the reason The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America ordinance of reason just law legal validity problem legal realism critical legal theory normative theory law as integrity divine law