Common law Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun (civil law) a law established by following earlier judicial decisions
case law; precedent.
noun a system of jurisprudence based on judicial precedents rather than statutory laws
case law; precedent.
- common law originated in the unwritten laws of England and was later applied in the United States

a system of jurisprudence developing under the guidance of the courts so as to apply a consistent and reasonable rule to each litigated case. It may be superseded by statute, but unless superseded it controls. Wharton. It is by others defined as the unwritten law (especially of England), the law that receives its binding force from immemorial usage and universal reception, as ascertained and expressed in the judgments of the courts. This term is often used in contradistinction from statute law. Many use it to designate a law common to the whole country. It is also used to designate the whole body of English (or other) law, as distinguished from its subdivisions, local, civil, admiralty, equity, etc. See Law.