What type of law primarily includes statutes that govern property and contracts?

The correct answer is the type of law that focuses on relationships between individuals and entities, particularly concerning their rights and obligations. This area, known as private law, encompasses statutes and legal principles that regulate property rights, contracts, and other civil matters.

Private law includes various branches, such as contract law—which governs agreements between parties—and property law—which deals with issues surrounding ownership, use, and transfer of property. Since both property law and contract law fall under the umbrella of private law, this category effectively encapsulates the legal framework that governs personal and commercial transactions, as well as individual rights.

In contrast, criminal law pertains to offenses against the state or public and involves regulations that prescribe punishment for unlawful acts, which does not relate to property or contracts. Public law governs the relationship between individuals and the government, including regulatory statutes, constitutional law, and administrative law, and focuses more on issues that affect society as a whole rather than private interests. Administrative law, a subset of public law, specifically regulates the actions and operations of government agencies.

Thus, the nature of statutes that govern property and contracts aligns closely with private law, affirming that this is indeed the correct classification for the question posed.