Forensic Psychology Exam 1 Practice

Case law is formed from how courts interpret and apply the law through their decisions. When a specific issue isn’t addressed by a statute, judges rely on prior court rulings to decide the case. This reliance on precedent, guided by the doctrine of stare decisis, builds the body of case-based law over time. Even where statutes exist, courts still interpret and apply them to the facts, but the ongoing development of case law comes from the reasoning and decisions of judges in individual cases, especially in areas not covered by statutes. Legislative statutes are the laws written and enacted by lawmakers. Administrative regulations are rules created by government agencies to implement statutes. International treaties are agreements between nations that can influence domestic law but are not the source of case law itself.