Which term describes law determined by court judgments, not by legislation?

• A. Case Law (common)
• B. Civil Law
• C. Contributory Negligence
• D. Common Law (Case)

Answer: (D)

Law formed from court decisions, rather than statutes, is the common law system known as case law. In this approach, judges issue rulings on disputes, and those decisions set precedents that guide future cases. Over time, these judicial rulings build a body of rules that operate alongside statutes, evolving as courts interpret and apply the law to new facts. This is different from civil law, where codes and statutes enacted by the legislature largely govern rules. Contributory negligence is about apportioning fault in tort cases, not about how the law is created. So the term that best describes law determined by court judgments is common law, or case law.