Which statement best defines statutory law?

Which statement best defines statutory law?

• A. Laws enacted by international organizations
• B. Guidelines issued by agencies
• C. Laws passed by state government
• D. Judicial decisions

Answer: (C)

Statutory law is the written laws created by a legislative body. In the United States, that includes laws passed by a state legislature and signed into law by the governor. This distinguishes statutes from other legal sources: agency guidelines or regulations are administrative rules, not statutes; judicial decisions are case law created by courts through opinions; and laws from international organizations aren’t state statutes unless a state legislature adopts them. So the statement that laws passed by state government define statutory law closely matches the actual concept.

Statutory law is the written laws created by a legislative body. In the United States, that includes laws passed by a state legislature and signed into law by the governor. This distinguishes statutes from other legal sources: agency guidelines or regulations are administrative rules, not statutes; judicial decisions are case law created by courts through opinions; and laws from international organizations aren’t state statutes unless a state legislature adopts them. So the statement that laws passed by state government define statutory law closely matches the actual concept.