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

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

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

That means you have to look to previous case law to see what might happen when the 61-year-old is sentenced next month.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

While state laws govern how marriages are unwound, resolutions for unmarried couples often hinge on a court’s interpretation of case law, with varying outcomes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Rulemaking is intricate work, they said, requiring expertise in the subject at hand as well as in existing statutes, regulations and case law.

From Salon • Feb. 2, 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