CHAPTER 2 SOURCES OF LAW
CHAPTER 2 SOURCES OF LAW T he major sources of law are: i) Legislation, ii) Precedents, iii) Custom. Ch. 2-1 Legislation: as a superior source: over Precedent: Salmond opines that 'Case law is gold in the mine, a few grains of the precious metal to the ton of useless matter, while Statute law is the coin of the realm ready lor immediate use'. Legislation is the main source of law. It consists of the declaration of legal rules by a competent authority like the Parliament or the other legislative bodies. It is an enunciation of principles having the force of law . The courts recognise these as law. Legislation also called Statute Law has become the standard form of law. The earlier forms, that is precedent, custom based on religious faith or practice or revelations of men have lost much of their efficacy. The result is that legislation is the most powerful and the latest instrument in legal growth. ...