Legislation passed by the U.S. Congress and the state legislatures is called which type of law?

• A. Civil law
• B. Case law
• C. Criminal law
• D. Statutory law

Answer: (D)

Statutory law is the body of law created by legislators. When Congress at the federal level or a state legislature passes a bill and it becomes law, it’s a statute. These statutes are written and codified in federal and state codes and cover both criminal and civil rules. So the type of law described—legislation made by legislative bodies—is statutory law.

Civil law refers to private rights and remedies, often in civil disputes, and is not the source of the legislation itself. Case law arises from court decisions interpreting statutes and previous rulings. Criminal law is a category of law dealing with crimes and punishments, but it is typically enacted through statutes; the defining factor here is that the law comes from statutes passed by legislatures, i.e., statutory law.