Which concept is described as unwritten laws based on precedents established by courts?

Which concept is described as unwritten laws based on precedents established by courts?

• A. Statutory law
• B. Administrative regulations
• C. Common law
• D. Case law

Answer: (C)

Common law is the system of unwritten rules that grows from court decisions and the precedents those decisions establish. As judges resolve disputes, they interpret existing rules and, through reasoning, create standards that guide future cases. That body of precedents travels forward through the doctrine of stare decisis, allowing the law to develop without new statutes. Statutory law, in contrast, is written and enacted by the legislature; administrative regulations are rules issued by government agencies; case law refers to the actual decisions and rulings in individual cases, which are part of how common law operates but the overarching concept described here is common law.

Common law is the system of unwritten rules that grows from court decisions and the precedents those decisions establish. As judges resolve disputes, they interpret existing rules and, through reasoning, create standards that guide future cases. That body of precedents travels forward through the doctrine of stare decisis, allowing the law to develop without new statutes. Statutory law, in contrast, is written and enacted by the legislature; administrative regulations are rules issued by government agencies; case law refers to the actual decisions and rulings in individual cases, which are part of how common law operates but the overarching concept described here is common law.