common law
"Common law" originates from medieval England and is characterized by judicial decisions and precedents rather than written statutes.
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Definition
C1Legal System
(technical, academic)A legal system where laws are developed through court decisions and judicial precedents instead of written statutes.
Example
- In many countries, common law forms the basis of their legal systems.
- The judge referred to common law principles when making her ruling.
C2Legal History
(historical, technical)A body of law administered in certain courts, characterized by a system of writs and limited remedies.
Example
- Historically, common law courts had a rigid system of writs.
C2General Law
(technical)Law that applies generally across a country or region, as opposed to laws with special or local application.
Example
- In Scots law, common law refers to laws of general application throughout the country.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "common law":
civil lawnatural lawcriminal lawrule of lawstatute lawcourt of lawstatutory lawfeudal lawcanon lawlaw and orderproperty lawlaw of nationslaw unto oneselfblue law