Which type of law is considered 'written law'?

• A. Substantive
• B. Procedural
• C. Common law
• D. Equitable

Answer: (A)

Written law refers to statutes that set out the rights and duties of people—this is substantive law. Substantive law defines what you can or cannot do and the legal consequences of actions, such as contract formation, property rights, or criminal offenses, and these rules are created and written down by the legislature. Procedural law governs the steps and processes for enforcing those rights—how trials proceed, how evidence is admitted, and the like. Common law arises from judicial decisions and, while those decisions are written, the body of law is not the statutory code. Equitable law deals with fairness and remedies, historically separate from the strict codes that define rights and duties.