The body of law derived from court decisions is called

• A. Statutory law
• B. Administrative law
• C. Case law
• D. Constitutional law

Answer: (C)

Case law is the body of law formed by decisions of courts. When judges decide cases, their written opinions explain how the law should be interpreted and applied to the facts before them. Those opinions create precedents that future courts follow, shaping legal rules over time. This accumulation of judicial rulings is what people mean when they talk about case law (often called common law in many places). It’s distinct from statutory law, which is enacted by legislative bodies; administrative law, which consists of rules created by agencies to implement statutes; and constitutional law, which concerns the interpretation and application of the Constitution itself.