Legislatures speak through enacted texts. A statute is a written law passed by a legislative body and, where required, approved by the executive, creating binding rules of general application.

Statutes may create crimes, establish civil duties, authorize agencies, appropriate funds, or restructure institutions. They are organized into codes for public access. When statutes conflict with constitutions, courts may invalidate them; when they conflict with older statutes, interpretation rules determine which controls.

Statutory interpretation is a major part of modern legal practice. Lawyers parse text, structure, and history to argue for favorable readings. Clear statutory drafting reduces litigation; ambiguous drafting transfers policymaking to courts and agencies.

• Written law enacted by a legislature
• Primary source of binding legal rules
• Subject to constitutional limits
• Interpreted by courts in concrete disputes