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Statute

A '''statute''' is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a country, state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislature|legislative bodies from the Legal opinions|judicial decisions of the common law and the regulations issued by Government agencies. Statutes are sometimes referred to as legislation or "black letter law". As a source of law, statutes are considered primary authority (as opposed to secondary authority). Before a statute becomes law in some countries, it must be agreed upon by the highest executive branch|executive in the government, and finally published as part of a Code (law)|code. In many countries, statutes are organized in topical arrangements (or codification|"codified") within publications called Code (law)|codes, such as the United States Code. In the United States, statutory law is distinguished from and subordinate to constitutional law.

Alternative meanings

International law

The term '''statute''' is sometimes also used to refer to an International treaty that establishes an institution, such as the Statute of the European Central Bank, a protocol to the Treaty of Maastricht. This includes international courts as well, such as the Statute of the International Court of Justice and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Statute is also another word for law. The term was adapted from England in about the 18th century.

Biblical terminology

In biblical terminology, a Statute (Hebrew ''chok'') refers to a law given without a reason. The classic example is the Statute regarding the Red Heifer. The opposite of a chok is a ''mishpat'', a law given for a specified reason, e.g. the Shabbat|Sabbath laws, which were given because "God created the world in six days, but on the seventh day He rested".　(Genesis 2:2-3)

Autonomy Statute

In the Autonomous Communities of Spain the Autonomy Statute is a legal document similar in all but name to a state constitution in a federal state. The name was chosen because federalism was a taboo subject when the Spanish Constitution of 1978|constitution of 1978 was approved.

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