Statute

Statute

A Statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or country. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations issued by government agencies. Statutes are sometimes referred to as legislation or "black letter law". As a source of law, statutes are considered primary authority (as opposed to secondary authority).

Origin

The term comes from the Latin word statutum, which means "it is decided". The phrase statute law is used to differentiate this kind of law from common law, which is a body of law derived from judicial decisions and established customs.

Types of Statutes

Statutes can be classified into two main types: public statutes and private statutes.

• Public Statutes: These are the laws that apply to the general public and are interpreted by the courts. They relate to the public rights and duties, and include criminal, administrative and constitutional laws.

• Private Statutes: These are laws that have effect on private rights but not on the public generally. They include laws that affect specific individuals, corporations or estates.

Interpretation

The process of interpreting a statute is called Statutory Interpretation. The courts apply various rules and methods of statutory interpretation in order to ascertain and effectuate the intent of the legislature.

See also

• Legislation
• Common law
• Statutory law
• Statutory Interpretation

External links

• Statute at Wex Legal Dictionary
• Statute Law at Britannica

Statute Resources
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