What is 'substantive law'?

Substantive law is fundamentally concerned with the rights and duties of individuals and entities. It establishes the legal standards by which people are judged, defining what is lawful and what is not. This area of law encompasses the specific rules and principles that determine how substantive rights are created, recognized, and enforced.

For instance, contract law, tort law, and property law all fall under substantive law, as they delineate the rights and responsibilities of parties in various scenarios. This makes it crucial for legal practitioners to understand substantive law because it directly impacts the lives of individuals and organizations by determining how the law applies in specific situations.

In contrast, procedural law, which governs how court procedures are conducted, does not define rights or obligations but rather details how legal processes should be carried out. Similarly, laws that focus on criminal punishment or outline governmental powers do not define personal rights and duties in the manner that substantive law does. Thus, option B correctly captures the essence of what substantive law represents in the legal framework.