Jurisprudence

Jurisprudence means the philosophy and science of law. The word is derived from Latin and has two parts:

juris, meaning "of right" or "of law" and prudence, which refers to being skilled or learned in law.  

Today, jurisprudence embraces all aspects of legal thought and is used in the study of legal principles, theories, concepts, institutions and the historical development upon which our law is bases.  

The law sometimes been compared to one of the great pyramids of Egypt. Created by humans, a pyramid is imposing, and inspiring from the outside. There is uncertainty and speculation regarding the process of its creation. It appears impenetrable and complex, yet as you move inside the structure, it reveals more and more of the secrets of the history, society, and believe of the people responsible for it.    

It might be useful to visualize jurisprudence as though you were looking down on a pyramid and viewing all the different aspects that make up the law.  By studying these different but integrated parts, it is possible to better understand the law. Jurisprudence ensures that changes to our laws are made with careful consideration and are informed by the insights of the legal writers, law-makers, and scholars of the past.