Both Uses of
statutory law
in
Change of Heart, by Picoult
- Legally, there's a statute that says that even prisoners have a right to practice their religion as long as it doesn't interfere with the running of the prison.†
*statute = a law developed by governmental groups in contrast to common law (based on custom and precedent)
- It was why a country as enlightened as the United States could still have a death penalty statute in place: it was just too frightening to think about what justice—or lack of it—would prevail if we didn't.†
Definition:
law developed by governmental groups in contrast to common law (based on custom and precedent) -- this is also one of the senses of the term, civil law