What is the primary purpose of case law?

The primary purpose of case law is to establish precedents based on judicial rulings. This means that court decisions in specific cases become authoritative and can guide future cases with similar facts or legal questions. When judges make rulings, they interpret laws, assess legal principles, and articulate how statutes apply in particular circumstances. These judicial opinions contribute to the body of law by clarifying, extending, or limiting legal principles, thereby shaping the law over time.

Precedents help create consistency in the judicial system, allowing individuals and entities to have a clearer understanding of how laws will be applied in future cases. When a higher court establishes a legal principle, lower courts are generally obliged to follow it, leading to a cohesive legal framework that evolves through case law rather than being solely reliant on statutes or written laws.

In contrast, creating statutes usually involves legislative processes, while interpretation of the Constitution or regulation of administrative agencies are tasks that have their own distinct legal frameworks and purposes. Case law specifically addresses how the judicial system interprets and applies existing laws in practical situations.