The Common Law (Common Law system)

The common law system is a legal framework developed mainly in England and used in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. It relies heavily on judicial decisions and precedents—past court rulings—that guide future cases. When a court faces a new issue, it looks at previous similar decisions to determine the outcome. This system emphasizes consistency and flexibility, allowing laws to evolve as judges interpret and adapt legal principles over time. Unlike systems that depend solely on written statutes, common law evolves through the accumulation of case law, shaping legal standards through judicial reasoning.