common law
noun [U]Definition
› LAW a system of laws based on customs and court decisions rather than on written laws made by a parliament. Common law forms the basis of the legal system in the UK, US, and various other countries: There is no statutory definition of "occupier" so it is necessary to turn to common law. → Compare civil law, statute law
(Definition of common law noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
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