Laws established by court decisions and legal precedence are known as what?

Laws established by court decisions and legal precedence are known as what?

• A. Civil law
• B. Statutory law
• C. Constitutional law
• D. Common law

Answer: (D)

Common law is the body of law developed through court decisions and the precedents those decisions establish. It grows as judges interpret statutes, apply established principles to new fact patterns, and refine legal doctrines over time. The principle of stare decisis makes prior rulings binding on similar future cases, providing consistency and predictability in legal outcomes. This is distinct from statutory law, which consists of written laws enacted by legislatures, and from constitutional law, which centers on the interpretation and application of the Constitution, including fundamental rights. In HR practice, common law shapes expectations around contracts, obligations, and remedies when statutes don’t spell out every detail, so past judicial rulings guide how similar workplace issues are resolved.

Common law is the body of law developed through court decisions and the precedents those decisions establish. It grows as judges interpret statutes, apply established principles to new fact patterns, and refine legal doctrines over time. The principle of stare decisis makes prior rulings binding on similar future cases, providing consistency and predictability in legal outcomes. This is distinct from statutory law, which consists of written laws enacted by legislatures, and from constitutional law, which centers on the interpretation and application of the Constitution, including fundamental rights. In HR practice, common law shapes expectations around contracts, obligations, and remedies when statutes don’t spell out every detail, so past judicial rulings guide how similar workplace issues are resolved.