In English law, a black letter law is the area of law characterized by technical rules, rather than those having a more conceptual basis. These laws establish the basic standard elements for a particular field of law, and are generally known and free from doubt or dispute. It may be, for example, the standard elements for a contract or the technical definition of battery; contract, tort, and land law are typical black letter law subjects, whereas administrative law, for example, would be considered considerably less black letter.
In the American legal system, a black-letter law is instead just a well-established case law.
Read more about Black Letter Law: History and Etymology, Similar Phrases
Famous quotes containing the words black, letter and/or law:
“As far as I knew white women were never lonely, except in books. White men adored them, Black men desired them and Black women worked for them.”
—Maya Angelou (b. 1928)
“This at least should be a rule through the letter-writing world: that no angry letter be posted till four-and-twenty hours will have elapsed since it was written.”
—Anthony Trollope (1815–1882)
“There is ... but one response possible from us: Force, Force to the uttermost, Force without stint or limit, the righteous and triumphant Force which shall make Right the law of the world and cast every selfish dominion down in the dust.”
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)