case law

noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkeɪs ˌlɔː/

Definition

Legal principles established by judicial decisions in previous court cases rather than by legislative statutes.

Examples

• The attorney argued that recent case law supports the defendant's right to privacy in this situation.

• Students in the law program spend months analyzing case law to understand how statutes are applied in practice.

• The court's decision created new case law that will influence how similar disputes are handled in the future.

Synonyms of case law

Words with a similar meaning to case law:

• precedent
• judicial precedent
• common law

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