From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Statutory law
is written
law
(as opposed to
oral
or
customary law
) set down by a
legislature
or other governing authority such as the
executive branch
of
government
in response to a need to clarify the functioning of government, improve civil order, answer a public need, to
codify
existing law, or for an
individual
or
company
to obtain special treatment.
The term
codified law
is sometimes used as a synonym for statutory law in general. In some U.S. states, the entire body of statutory law is referred to as a "code," such as the
Ohio
Revised Code. At the federal and state level in the United States, portions of the statutory law are also referred to as "code," such as the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.