Unwritten law is a law which is not contained in any statutes and can be found in case decisions. This is known as the common law or case law

Unwritten rules, principles, and norms that have the effect and force of law though they have not been formally enacted by the government.

Most laws in America are written. The US Code, the Code of Federal Regulations, and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are three examples of written laws that are frequently cited in federal court. Each state has a similar body of written laws. By contrast, unwritten law consisits of those custom, traditions, practices, usages, and other maxims of human conduct that the government has recognized and enforced. Unwritten law is most commonly found in primitive societies where illiteracy is prevalent. Because many residents in such societies cannot read and write, there is little point in publishing written laws to govern their conduct. Instead, societal disputes in primitive societies are resolved informally, through appeal to unwritten maxims of fairness or popularity accepted modes of behavior. Litigans present their claims orally in most primitive societies, and judges announce their decisions in the same fashion. The governing body in primitive societies typically enforces the useful traditions that are widely practiced in the community, while those practices that are novel or harmful fall into disuse or are discouraged.[3]

Task 1. Read the text and answer the chekup questions.

1. What do the terms “written law and unwritten law” imply?

2. What written laws are frequently cited in federal court.

3. What does unwritten law consist of?

4. Where is unwritten law most commonly found? How are societal disputes in primitive societies resolved?