Which term best describes law developed over centuries based on custom and judicial opinions, as opposed to legislative acts?

• A. Civil Law Rights
• B. Administrative Law
• C. Common Law Rights
• D. Statutory Law

Answer: (C)

Common law develops from judge-made rulings and long-standing customs rather than from statutes. It grows through judicial opinions and the doctrine of precedent, so today’s decisions shape future cases unless a higher court changes them. This makes it different from statutory law, which is created by legislative acts and written as statutes; administrative law, which comes from rules set by government agencies; and civil law, which relies on codified codes rather than court-made precedents. When we talk about rights recognized through courts over centuries, we’re describing common law rights. An example is how traditional tort or contract principles evolved from prior cases and settled practices, not from a new law passed by legislators.