noun
- Law established by the decisions and judgments of courts in individual cases, rather than by legislation.
Usage: Legal term; Also written as two words or hyphenated (case-law)
Examples
- The lawyer cited case law from previous court decisions to support her argument.
- Case law plays a crucial role in the American legal system.
- Judges often rely on case law when making decisions in similar disputes.
- The ruling established important case law that would affect future trials.
- Law students study case law to understand how courts interpret statutes.
- Case law develops gradually as courts address new legal questions.