Which statement best describes statutory law and case law?

Which statement best describes statutory law and case law?

• A. Statutory law is based on legislation; Case law is based on a court's interpretation where no statute exists; Both carry equal weight.
• B. Statutory law is based on court interpretations; Case law is based on legislation; Both carry equal weight.
• C. Statutory law and case law are unrelated and have different sources, with case law having greater weight.
• D. Case law is based on statutes; Statutory law is based on judicial interpretations.

Answer: (A)

Statutory law comes from legislation enacted by lawmakers, providing explicit rules. Case law comes from court decisions that interpret those statutes and decide disputes; when a statute doesn’t speak to a situation, judges rely on case law to apply the law and establish precedent. These two are the authoritative ways law is created and applied, and they work together: statutes set the rules, while case law explains, interprets, and fills gaps in those rules. The statement that statutory law is based on legislation and case law is based on a court’s interpretation where no statute exists captures this relationship, and the other options mix up their sources or imply the wrong hierarchy.

Statutory law comes from legislation enacted by lawmakers, providing explicit rules. Case law comes from court decisions that interpret those statutes and decide disputes; when a statute doesn’t speak to a situation, judges rely on case law to apply the law and establish precedent. These two are the authoritative ways law is created and applied, and they work together: statutes set the rules, while case law explains, interprets, and fills gaps in those rules. The statement that statutory law is based on legislation and case law is based on a court’s interpretation where no statute exists captures this relationship, and the other options mix up their sources or imply the wrong hierarchy.