Positive law refers to legal rules enacted by people in a political community or governing body. Positive law includes constitutions, statutes, and regulations. Positive law is different from natural law, which refers to universal principles and rules that properly govern moral human conduct. Some courts, such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Worm v. American Cyanamid Co., stated that there is no distinction between positive law and common law.
See also moral law.
[Last updated in December of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]