What is the difference between common law and statute law?
Parliament enacts laws, known as Acts, statutes or legislation. The courts’ role is to interpret and apply the laws that Parliament has enacted. If there is no statute which covers a particular issue, then the law is derived from decisions made by courts. This body of decisions is called the “common law”. Decisions of courts such as the High Court of Australia, the Federal Court, the Supreme Courts of other states and territories and our own Supreme Court all form part of the common law.
