the.com/statute
A sentence everyone agreed to obey, written by people who'll be dead before it's enforced.
means A formal written law passed by a legislature, as opposed to one made by judges or by custom.
from From Latin statutum, 'something set up or established,' the neuter past participle of statuere, 'to set, place, or establish,' which itself grows from stare, 'to stand.' So a statute is literally a thing made to stand — a rule put on its feet and left there. The word reached English through Old French statut, and shares its standing root with relatives like 'statue,' 'status,' and 'stable.'
- latin root
- From statutum, meaning 'that which is set up'
- vs common law
- Beats judge-made rulings when the two collide
- limitations
- Some crimes expire; murder usually never does
- oldest live one
- England's 1267 Statute of Marlborough still binds
- zombie laws
- Many stay on books long after enforcement stops
statue of liberty — 305-foot copper statue in new york harbor, dedicated 1886
christ the redeemer — 98-foot art deco statue overlooking rio de janeiro, brazil, completed 1931
moai easter island — nearly 900 monumental stone statues on easter island created by rapa nui people
great sphinx of giza — limestone statue with human head and lion's body near cairo, built c. 2500 bce