case law

noun

1. law established by judicial decisions in particular cases, instead of by legislative action.

case law

noun

1. law established by following judicial decisions given in earlier cases Compare statute law See also precedent

Word History and Origins

Origin of case law¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Citing murky laws and growing case law, online service HelloPrenup last year added optional clauses to its forms to help couples spell out what happens to embryos in a breakup.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The state also claims that government code and case law make the California Department of Parks and Recreation immune from liability.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The great challenge in the troops cases, legal scholars agree, is that they turn on a vague, century-old text with no relevant case law to help define it.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Written briefs, oral presentations, and published opinions would provide the accounting equivalent of case law, producing a body of precedent to guide auditors, preparers, and users of financial statements.

Read more on Barron's

Rosenfield, now outside counsel to Consumer Watchdog, alleged that the changes would vest the commissioner with powers not intended by Proposition 103 and not supported by decades of case law.

Read more on Los Angeles Times