What does the term statute refer to?

The term statute refers to a written law enacted by the legislature. Statutes are formal expressions of legislative authority, created to govern conduct and provide regulation within a specific jurisdiction. They are deliberately crafted and passed through a defined legislative process, which typically involves various stages of scrutiny and approval by elected representatives. Once enacted, statutes hold legal authority and can be enforced by the court system.

The other options, while related to legal concepts, represent different sources of law. A legal principle derived from court rulings refers to case law or common law, which evolves from judicial decisions and interpretations rather than legislative action. A regulation issued by administrative agencies typically pertains to rules created by government agencies to implement and enforce statutes, rather than the statutes themselves. An unwritten law based on societal norms reflects customs and traditional practices that are not codified in formal legislation, contrasting sharply with the structured and documented nature of statutes.