Glossary
Common law system
common-law
A tradition in which judicial precedent is a primary source of law.
In more detail
Originating in England, common-law systems develop legal rules incrementally through decided cases bound by the doctrine of precedent. Statutes are interpreted against this case-law background, and procedure is adversarial with the parties controlling the presentation of evidence.
Related terms
- civil-law-system
- stare-decisis
See how this applies to you
Definitions are general. How a term operates depends on the jurisdiction you are in.