APOSTC Legal Practice Exam

The main idea here is where judicial decisions come from when they interpret different kinds of law. Case law is the body of law that grows from court decisions. Judges interpret and apply the rules and doctrines that come from various sources, including common law principles, constitutional provisions, statutes, and ordinances. So when a court explains what a common-law doctrine means, or how a constitutional right should be understood, or how a statute or local ordinance should be read and applied to a particular dispute, those interpretations become part of case law. This body of decisions helps guide future rulings in similar situations and can modify or refine prior rules as society and priorities change.

Statutes are the written laws enacted by legislatures, not the interpretive work done by courts. Constitutions are the fundamental legal framework, not the body of judicial interpretations. Ordinances are local laws enacted by municipal authorities, also not the interpreted decisions themselves. The category that encompasses the court-driven interpretation of all those kinds of law is case law.