Black Letter Law

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

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