LEGAL STATUS

In law 'legal status' refers to the concept of individuals having a particular place in society, relative to the law, as it determines the laws which affect them.
Degrees of status, as well as the rights and statutes which apply, vary in accordance with several standard (as well as specialised designations). Various terms are used by different entities to refer to people and their status: terms such as citizen, enlisted soldier, illegal immigrant, exile, convicted criminal, etc.
Changing political conditions, have over time given rise to the usage of controversial and neologist terms such as "enemy combatant"—which though widely criticised is still used as the basis for keeping various political prisoners.