“common law”
This page shows official legal definitions of “common law” from courts and ministries of justice in multiple countries. Definitions are listed in order of reading level to help with both basic understanding and deeper context.
New Zealand
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Case law developed over time by decisions of the court.
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Australia
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The part of English law traditionally based on common custom and being unwritten. Law which is not equity, statute, or ecclesiastical (church).
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United States
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The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States, which relies on the articulation of legal principles in a historical succession of judicial decisions. Common law principles can be changed by legislation.
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