Comparative law is the comparison of legal systems. Major issues in comparative law include intellectual property protection, human rights, the environment, criminal law and procedure, tax policies, and labor relations. The study of other legal systems has gained in relevance because it helps us to understand our own law and to provide solutions for legal issues which have become more and more global.
Comparative law is by definition the study of foreign law. It is comparison of law, not really a field of substantive law. Comparative law is not a body of rules and principles. Primarily, it is a method, a way of looking at legal problems, legal institutions, and entire legal systems. By the use of that method it becomes possible to make observations, and to gain insights, which would be denied to one who limits his study to the law of a single country.
