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Law vocabulary · Legal Systems & Sources of Law

Case law

Meaning in law, with examples

nounCore term

In law, case law means: Law that comes from the decisions of courts rather than from statutes; the body of earlier judgments that judges and lawyers rely on.

In Turkish: içtihat, içtihat hukuku, yargı kararları

How it is used

Uncountable: 'there is no case law on this point', 'recent case law suggests…'. Lawyers 'research', 'cite' and 'review' case law. In civil law countries case law is influential and persuasive, but usually not formally binding in the same way as in common law countries.

Example sentences

  1. There is very little case law on liability for AI-generated content.

  2. Please summarise the relevant case law in a two-page note.

Common collocations

  • relevant case law
  • recent case law
  • settled case law
  • research case law
  • precedentAn earlier court decision that judges use as an example or a rule when they decide later cases with similar facts or legal questions.
  • statuteA written law passed by a parliament or another law-making body, as opposed to rules that come from court decisions.
  • common lawThe legal system that developed in England and is used in countries such as the US, Canada and Australia, where court decisions are a main source of law; also the judge-made rules themselves.
  • stare decisisThe principle that courts should follow earlier decisions on the same legal question, so that the law stays consistent and predictable; Latin for 'to stand by things decided'.
  • judgmentThe final decision of a court in a case, together with the reasons the judge gives for it; also the written document that contains this decision.

More terms: Legal Systems & Sources of Law

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.