Statute law
Statute law is written law. It is set out in Acts that have been passed and published. An Act says in its own words what is required or forbidden.
You can read the Acts of Links Land on legislation.govll.org.
Common law
Common law is unwritten. It is made up of common sense principles that the courts recognise and apply, even though no Act sets them out.
Links Land has a Common Law Act, which gives common law its place in the law of Links Land. It works in the same way as common law in the United Kingdom.
Legislation
The Act that gives common law its place in the law of Links Land.
Read it on legislation.govll.org
Statute law and common law side by side
Statute law
- Written down in Acts
- Says in its own words what the rule is
- Published on legislation.govll.org
Common law
- Unwritten
- Based on common sense principles
- Recognised and applied by judges
Something can be illegal without an Act
There is no Act in Links Land that says you must not kill someone. Killing is still unlawful, because it is against common law.
This means a judge can rule that something is illegal under common law even when no specific Act deals with it.
Where the courts come in
Both kinds of law are applied by the courts. How the Courts Work explains the four tiers of court, and The Judiciary explains how rulings are made.