case law

American  

noun

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

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case law British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of case law

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

case law

Federal judges have found that the government filed statements generated by artificial intelligence that referenced nonexistent case law, wrote briefs that ignored facts and filed declarations with inaccurate dates, the ProPublica review shows.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

“I am not sure that today’s opinion will stand the test of time. The citizenship clause ‘added greatly to the dignity and glory of American citizenship,’ Thomas wrote, citing previous case law.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

And given case law about CEQA, he said the union has “a very plausible argument.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

"The outcome achieved is significant as the previous case law limited the ability of families and patients to challenge the legality of SAI reviews through the courts," she said.

From BBC ● May 20, 2026

Though the judge in the John Moore case said patients must be told if their tissues have commercial potential, there was no law enacted to enforce that ruling, so it remains only case law.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot