What is the look up for British common law, and how do I access it? The most commonly used method is to use CommonLII, an online repository of legal information from all Commonwealth countries. The collection contains more than 1400 databases from over 60 countries. Moreover, each country has its own legal website, and you can find case law from those websites via CommonLII. You can find these databases in the Jurisdiction and Databases guides.
Common law does not include formal statutes but relies on court-established legal precedents. This is why the common law system enshrines verdicts of public juries and judicial authorities. This kind of precedent is also known as case law or stare decisis. It represents a historical record of judicial decisions that can be used as precedents in future cases. Its detailed record of previous court cases is known as common law. Depending on the presiding judge, this law is not formally codified, but it has been applied by the courts in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth nations.
The English common law has been around for hundreds of years. Before the American Revolution, it ruled England. After the Supreme Court of Judicature Acts in the 1870s, it became the law of colonies in North America, and elsewhere. It has also influenced the legal systems of other countries. When searching for a case, you can use the look up for British common law. This is a great resource for researchers who are studying the law.
