Definition: statute

Source: WordNet (r) 1.7

statute
     adj : enacted by a legislative body; "statute law"; "codified
           written laws" [syn: codified, statute]
     n : an act passed by a legislative body [syn: legislative act]

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Retroactive \Re`tro*act"ive\, a. [Cf. F. r['e]troactif.]
   Fitted or designed to retroact; operating by returned action;
   affecting what is past; retrospective. --Beddoes.

   Retroactive law or statute (Law), one which operates to
      make criminal or punishable, or in any way expressly to
      affect, acts done prior to the passing of the law.

Statute \Stat"ute\, n. [F. statut, LL. statutum, from L.
   statutus, p. p. of statuere to set, station, ordain, fr.
   status position, station, fr. stare, statum, to stand. See
   Stand, and cf. Constitute, Destitute.]
   1. An act of the legislature of a state or country,
      declaring, commanding, or prohibiting something; a
      positive law; the written will of the legislature
      expressed with all the requisite forms of legislation; --
      used in distinction fraom common law. See Common law,
      under Common, a. --Bouvier.

   Note: Statute is commonly applied to the acts of a
         legislative body consisting of representatives. In
         monarchies, legislature laws of the sovereign are
         called edicts, decrees, ordinances, rescripts, etc. In
         works on international law and in the Roman law, the
         term is used as embracing all laws imposed by competent
         authority. Statutes in this sense are divided into
         statutes real, statutes personal, and statutes mixed;
         statutes real applying to immovables; statutes personal
         to movables; and statutes mixed to both classes of
         property.

   2. An act of a corporation or of its founder, intended as a
      permanent rule or law; as, the statutes of a university.

   3. An assemblage of farming servants (held possibly by
      statute) for the purpose of being hired; -- called also
      statute fair. [Eng.] Cf. 3d Mop, 2. --Halliwell.

   Statute book, a record of laws or legislative acts.
      --Blackstone.

   Statute cap, a kind of woolen cap; -- so called because
      enjoined to be worn by a statute, dated in 1571, in behalf
      of the trade of cappers. [Obs.] --Halliwell.

   Statute fair. See Statute, n., 3, above.

   Statute labor, a definite amount of labor required for the
      public service in making roads, bridges, etc., as in
      certain English colonies.

   Statute merchant (Eng. Law), a bond of record pursuant to
      the stat. 13 Edw. I., acknowledged in form prescribed, on
      which, if not paid at the day, an execution might be
      awarded against the body, lands, and goods of the debtor,
      and the obligee might hold the lands until out of the
      rents and profits of them the debt was satisfied; --
      called also a pocket judgment. It is now fallen into
      disuse. --Tomlins. --Bouvier.

   Statute mile. See under Mile.

   Statute of limitations (Law), a statute assigned a certain
      time, after which rights can not be enforced by action.

   Statute staple, a bond of record acknowledged before the
      mayor of the staple, by virtue of which the creditor may,
      on nonpayment, forthwith have execution against the body,
      lands, and goods of the debtor, as in the statute
      merchant. It is now disused. --Blackstone.

   Syn: Act; regulation; edict; decree. See Law.


   3. Not invested with, or engaged in, public office or
      employment; as, a private citizen; private life. --Shak.

            A private person may arrest a felon.  --Blackstone.

   4. Not publicly known; not open; secret; as, a private
      negotiation; a private understanding.

   5. Having secret or private knowledge; privy. [Obs.]

   Private act or statute, a statute exclusively for the
      settlement of private and personal interests, of which
      courts do not take judicial notice; -- opposed to a
      general law, which operates on the whole community

Public \Pub"lic\, a. [L. publicus, poblicus, fr. populus people:
   cf. F. public. See People.]
   1. Of or pertaining to the people; belonging to the people;
      relating to, or affecting, a nation, state, or community;
      -- opposed to private; as, the public treasury.

            To the public good Private respects must yield.
                                                  --Milton.

            He [Alexander Hamilton] touched the dead corpse of
            the public credit, and it sprung upon its feet. --D.
                                                  Webster.

   2. Open to the knowledge or view of all; general; common;
      notorious; as, public report; public scandal.

            Joseph, . . . not willing to make her a public
            example, was minded to put her away privily. --Matt.
                                                  i. 19.

   3. Open to common or general use; as, a public road; a public
      house. ``The public street.'' --Shak.

   Public act or statute (Law), an act or statute affecting
      matters of public concern. Of such statutes the courts
      take judicial notice.

   Public credit. See under Credit.

   Public funds. See Fund, 3.

   Public house, an inn, or house of entertainment.

   Public law.
      (a) See International law, under International.
      (b) A public act or statute.

   Public nuisance. (Law) See under Nuisance.

   Public orator. (Eng. Universities) See Orator, 3.

   Public stores, military and naval stores, equipments, etc.
      

   Public works, all fixed works built by civil engineers for
      public use, as railways, docks, canals, etc.; but
      strictly, military and civil engineering works constructed
      at the public cost.