Lex scripta

This article does not cite any sources. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (November 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Lex scripta pl. leges scriptae is a Latin expression that means "written or statutory law". It is in contrast to lex non scripta, customary or common law. The term originates from the Roman legal tradition. Emperor Justinian divides the lex scripta into several categories:

• Statutes
• Plebiscita
• Senatorial Decrees
• The Decisions of the Emperors
• Orders of the Magistrates
• Answers of Jurisconsults

Lex scripta has a lasting effect that can define a legal tradition for a culture such as that found in the Corpus Juris Civilis, Magna Carta, Tang Code, or a country's constitution.

See also[]

• List of Latin phrases