Legal Definitions - corpus juris Angliae

The term corpus juris Angliae is a Latin phrase that refers to the complete and entire collection of all laws that govern England. It encompasses every rule, regulation, and legal principle that forms the legal framework of the country, drawing from various historical and modern sources. This comprehensive body includes:

• Common Law: Laws developed over centuries by judges through court decisions and precedents, forming a body of unwritten law.
• Statutory Law: Laws formally enacted by the UK Parliament, often referred to as Acts of Parliament.
• Equity: A system of legal principles developed historically by separate courts to provide fairer outcomes and remedies where the strict application of common law might lead to injustice.
• Special Law: Other specific areas of law, such as administrative law, which governs the actions of government bodies, or historically, European Union law when the UK was a member.

Essentially, the corpus juris Angliae represents the sum total of all legal authority and rules applicable within England.

Examples:

• Property Boundary Dispute: Imagine two neighbors in a rural English village are disputing the exact boundary line between their properties. To resolve this, a court would need to consult various parts of the corpus juris Angliae. This would involve ancient common law principles regarding land ownership and easements (rights to use another's land), statutory laws like the Land Registration Act 2002 which governs how property is recorded and transferred, and potentially equitable principles if one party is seeking a fair outcome beyond strict legal rights, such as an injunction to prevent encroachment. All these different layers of law contribute to the complete legal picture governing property in England.

• Consumer Protection: Consider a situation where a consumer in England buys a faulty washing machine from a high street retailer. The legal recourse available to them is derived from the corpus juris Angliae. This would involve statutory law, such as the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which sets out the rights and remedies for consumers regarding goods and services. It might also involve common law principles related to contract formation and breach, developed through centuries of judicial decisions. If the consumer seeks a remedy that goes beyond monetary compensation, such as forcing the retailer to replace the item, equitable principles might also come into play. The combination of these different legal sources forms the complete body of law addressing consumer protection in England.

• Environmental Regulations: When the English government introduces new regulations to protect a specific endangered species or a natural habitat, it operates within the framework of the corpus juris Angliae. This involves primary legislation passed by Parliament, such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which grants powers to environmental agencies. It also includes numerous statutory instruments (secondary legislation) made under these Acts, detailing specific rules for conservation. Furthermore, common law principles regarding nuisance or trespass might be used to prevent harm to the environment by private parties, and equitable injunctions could be sought to halt damaging activities. The entire legal basis for such environmental protection, from its enabling statutes to its practical enforcement, is drawn from this comprehensive body of English law.