Statutes are laws passed by state legislatures (state laws) and by the United States Congress (federal laws). Statutes are one of the primary sources of law in the United States (sometimes referred to as statutory law) and cover a wide variety of legal topics. Courts often rely on statutes to resolve legal disputes (lawsuits) by applying the relevant statutes to the particular set of factual circumstances underlying the dispute.
Courts generally seek the clear and plain meaning of a statute, and if the court finds a statute ambiguous or “ambiguous on its face” (looking only at the words as written) the court may attempt to determine what the legislature intended in enacting the statute—known as legislative intent.
Related statutes are sometimes compiled in groups and referred to as codes—such as the penal code, the family code, or the code of civil procedure. Statutes may be amended (changed) or repealed (eliminated) by the legislature or Congress or declared unconstitutional (and thus unenforceable) by a court.
In Texas, statutes are laws enacted by the Texas Legislature or the United States Congress. These laws encompass a broad range of legal subjects and serve as a fundamental source of legal authority. When resolving disputes, Texas courts interpret these statutes by seeking their clear and plain meaning. If a statute is ambiguous, courts may look into legislative intent to ascertain what the lawmakers aimed to achieve when they passed the law. Texas statutes are organized into various codes, such as the Texas Penal Code, Texas Family Code, and Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, which group related laws for easier reference. The Texas Legislature has the power to amend or repeal statutes, and courts have the authority to strike down statutes as unconstitutional, rendering them unenforceable. This framework of statutory law is critical for the functioning of the legal system and for providing clarity and predictability in the application of the law.
