Which description best defines statutory law?

Which description best defines statutory law?

• A. Law enacted by legislative bodies and codified.
• B. Law created by executive agencies through rulemaking.
• C. Unwritten customs recognized by courts.
• D. Law derived from international treaties.

Answer: (A)

Statutory law is the written, codified law created by a legislative body. It’s the formal statutes and codes enacted by lawmakers that govern behavior, rights, and procedures. This is what makes it distinct: it originates in the legislature and is recorded in statutes, making it clear and accessible. The other descriptions describe different sources of law. Law created by executive agencies through rulemaking refers to administrative regulations that implement statutes but aren’t themselves statutes unless the legislature adopts them as such. Unwritten customs recognized by courts describe common law, developed through judicial decisions rather than written statutes. Law derived from international treaties involves international agreements; domestically, treaties may influence law, but they are not statutory law unless the legislature enacts implementing legislation.

Statutory law is the written, codified law created by a legislative body. It’s the formal statutes and codes enacted by lawmakers that govern behavior, rights, and procedures. This is what makes it distinct: it originates in the legislature and is recorded in statutes, making it clear and accessible.

The other descriptions describe different sources of law. Law created by executive agencies through rulemaking refers to administrative regulations that implement statutes but aren’t themselves statutes unless the legislature adopts them as such. Unwritten customs recognized by courts describe common law, developed through judicial decisions rather than written statutes. Law derived from international treaties involves international agreements; domestically, treaties may influence law, but they are not statutory law unless the legislature enacts implementing legislation.