What is Common Law?

• A. The body of law that develops from judicial decisions rather than legislative enactments.
• B. The body of law created directly by statutes.
• C. The body of international law governing treaties.
• D. The body of administrative regulations issued by agencies.

Answer: (A)

Common Law is the body of law that develops from judicial decisions and precedent rather than statutes. Courts interpret cases, articulate rules, and those rules become binding in future cases through the doctrine of stare decisis, creating an evolving system that fills gaps and shapes doctrine as situations arise. In many jurisdictions this tradition anchors how everyday disputes in areas like tort, contract, and property are resolved, even as statutes and regulations exist to codify or modify those rules. The other sources described—laws created directly by legislatures, international treaties, and administrative regulations issued by agencies—are separate origins of law: statutory law, international law, and administrative/l regulatory law, respectively.