What is a statute?

What is a statute?

• A. A law enacted by state or federal legislatures.
• B. A local ordinance.
• C. A regulation issued by a municipal board.
• D. A judicial ruling.

Answer: (A)

A statute is a written law created by a legislative body. It comes from the formal process of enactment by state or federal legislatures and is intended to govern broad areas with general rules, rights, duties, and penalties. This distinguishes it from other legal forms: a local ordinance is a law only for a local government like a city or county, not the state or federal legislature; a regulation is a detailed rule issued by an administrative agency to implement statutes; and a judicial ruling is a court decision interpreting or applying the law, not the law itself. So the best fit is a law enacted by state or federal legislatures.

A statute is a written law created by a legislative body. It comes from the formal process of enactment by state or federal legislatures and is intended to govern broad areas with general rules, rights, duties, and penalties. This distinguishes it from other legal forms: a local ordinance is a law only for a local government like a city or county, not the state or federal legislature; a regulation is a detailed rule issued by an administrative agency to implement statutes; and a judicial ruling is a court decision interpreting or applying the law, not the law itself. So the best fit is a law enacted by state or federal legislatures.