S: (n) civil law (the body of laws established by a state or nation for its own regulation)
S: (n) law, jurisprudence (the collection of rules imposed by authority) "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"
S: (n) entity (that which is perceived or known or inferred to have its own distinct existence (living or nonliving))
S: (n) common law, case law, precedent (a system of jurisprudence based on judicial precedents rather than statutory laws) "common law originated in the unwritten laws of England and was later applied in the United States"
S: (n) precedent (a subject mentioned earlier (preceding in time))