What is considered statutory law?
Asked by: Tamara O'Conner | Last update: February 8, 2026Score: 4.6/5 (66 votes)
Statutory law refers to written laws formally enacted by a legislative body, such as the U.S. Congress or state legislatures, contrasting with common law (judge-made) or regulations (agency-made). These laws, called statutes, start as bills, go through legislative debate, and are signed by the executive (President/Governor) or passed over a veto, becoming codified into official legal codes for public or specific use.
What is an example of a statutory law?
In their most basic form, statues are written laws that can be looked up or located in databases or books. These come in the form of bills or acts. Common examples of statutory law include traffic violations like running a red light and the minimum legal drinking age of 21, to name a few.
What constitutes statutory law?
Statutory law in the United States consists of the laws passed by the legislature. For the federal government, then, the statutory law is the acts passed by the United States Congress. These acts are designated as Public Laws or Private Laws.
What are the main types of statutory law?
While there are many types of statutory laws and codes to organize them, the more common ones are: Family or civil codes: These statutes include civil claims, labor disputes, divorces, and other legal matters that are not crimes. Criminal codes: These laws pertain to issues of criminality.
What is common law vs statutory law?
Common law comes from judicial precedent (judge-made law) based on customs, evolving case by case, while statutory law is written legislation passed by a legislative body (like Congress or state legislatures). Common law is flexible and fills gaps, relying on stare decisis (precedent), whereas statutes are rigid, written rules requiring legislative action for changes, providing structured frameworks for areas like traffic or environmental regulations.
What Is Statutory Law? - CountyOffice.org
What are the 4 types of law?
The four main types of law, especially in the U.S. system, are Constitutional Law, Statutory Law, Administrative Law, and Case Law (Common Law), which derive from different governmental sources, from supreme foundational principles (Constitution) to laws passed by legislatures (Statutes), rules from agencies (Regulations), and judge-made precedents (Case Law).
What's another name for statutory law?
A legislative enactment is a statute. Some synonyms for statute are canon, code, edict, enact- ment, law, legislation, mandate, order, ordinance, regulation, and written law. A statute is a law written by a legislature. It is considered a primary authority.
What does statutory mean in simple words?
The simple meaning of statutory is anything that is required, established, or defined by a formal written law (a statute) passed by a legislature, like Congress or Parliament, rather than by custom or judicial decision. It means something is legally mandated or created by law, such as a statutory requirement or statutory punishment.
Who enforces statutory laws?
The executive branch consists of the President, his or her advisors and various departments and agencies. This branch is responsible for enforcing the laws of the land.
What are the three types of law?
The basic divisions in the U.S. legal system are the criminal, civil, and administrative. Criminal laws are statutes enacted to maintain order in society. Compensating individuals who have been injured physically or economically is a civil law problem.
What are the limits of statutory law?
California Statute of Limitations Law
The range is usually from one year for many misdemeanors, three years for many felonies, to no time limit at all for crimes punishable by death or life in prison. If there is no statute of limitations, the prosecutor may bring charges against someone at any time.
What does statutory mean in layman's terms?
A rule is statutory when it's been officially written down in a law. When someone doesn't follow a statutory rule, then they are breaking the law.
What is another word for statutory?
A synonym for statutory means established or required by law or legislation, with common alternatives including legal, lawful, legislative, regulatory, constitutional, mandatory, compulsory, and authorized, all conveying the sense of being officially enacted or binding.
What does it mean if a law is statutory?
Statutory Law is law established by an act of the legislature that is signed by the executive. For federal statutory law, the acts are passed by Congress and signed by the President of the United States. For state law, the acts are passed by the state legislature and signed by the state governor.
What's the difference between case law and statutory law?
Case law or Common law - created by a judicial body, such as the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals or the Virginia Supreme Court. Statutory law - created by a legislative body, such as the U.S. Congress or the State of Maryland General Assembly.
Can statutory law be challenged?
The Supreme Court often is called on to rule on the constitutionality of statutes adopted by the legislature. A person who brings a constitutional challenge faces a difficult legal burden. Laws are presumed to be constitutional unless a clear violation of a specific provision of the Constitution can be proven.
Who does statutory law apply to?
Statutory law can be created at all levels of government It may come from state, federal, and even local governments. A government can formulate a statute that is applicable in its jurisdiction and to the lower levels of government.
Has a president ever ignored a court order?
In two notable nineteenth-century cases—Worcester v. Georgia (1832) and Ex parte Merryman (1861)—presidents took no action to enforce Supreme Court rulings under circumstances where many argued that they were obligated to do so.
What branch of the United States government makes statutory law?
The legislative branch is made up of Congress (the Senate and House of Representatives) and special agencies and offices that provide support services to Congress. The legislative branch's key roles include: Drafting proposed laws.
What's the difference between common law and statutory law?
Common law comes from judicial precedent (judge-made law) based on customs, evolving case by case, while statutory law is written legislation passed by a legislative body (like Congress or state legislatures). Common law is flexible and fills gaps, relying on stare decisis (precedent), whereas statutes are rigid, written rules requiring legislative action for changes, providing structured frameworks for areas like traffic or environmental regulations.
What is the difference between legal and statutory?
The differences between legal and statutory requirements
Legal requirements - Encompass all law forms, including statutory laws and other regulations, directives, and judicial precedents. Statutory requirements - These are a subset of legal requirements, confined to those obligations directly specified in statutes.
What are the four types of laws?
The four main types of law, especially in the U.S. system, are Constitutional Law, Statutory Law, Administrative Law, and Case Law (Common Law), which derive from different governmental sources, from supreme foundational principles (Constitution) to laws passed by legislatures (Statutes), rules from agencies (Regulations), and judge-made precedents (Case Law).
What is the difference between constitutional law and statutory law?
While the Constitution applies to government action, statutes apply to and regulate individual or private action. A statute is a written (and published) law that can be enacted in one of two ways. Most statutes are written and voted into law by the legislative branch of government.
Why is statutory law important?
Statutory laws serve as a primary source of authority in legal matters, often providing clear guidelines for resolving disputes. Unlike case law, which is based on judicial decisions, statutory law is written and established through formal legislative processes.