Also known as: applicable statute · applicable statutory provisions · relevant statutes · governing statutes
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
Statutes that supply the controlling rules for a given legal dispute or transaction.
Alfred Ashford filed a complaint against Argonaut Shipping within the original limitations period. After the period expired he amended the pleading to add a new claim arising from the same shipment transaction. The applicable statute permitted the amendment to relate back to the original filing date.
Aaron Adams, age seventeen and unemancipated, executed a document purporting to dispose of his savings account. The applicable statute set the age of majority at eighteen. The instrument was therefore void.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Anita Ali died leaving three surviving children and two deceased children who each left surviving descendants. The applicable statute directed division into equal shares among the nearest generation of surviving descendants and the descendants of the deceased children.
Adrian Aguilar conveyed land by deed containing language that would have created a fee tail at common law. The applicable statute converted the estate into a fee simple absolute in the first donee. The grantee therefore held full ownership rights.
Antonio Alvarado and Atlas Ventures co-founder Anita Ali ended their cohabitation when Antonio moved out. Five months later Anita sold the jointly improved property and kept all proceeds. The applicable statute permitted Antonio to commence his breach claim after termination subject to the contractual limitations period.
Aaron Adams, a former White House aide, sought damages for an allegedly unlawful dismissal. The applicable statutes and regulations remained available for judicial examination even though the President directed the action. The court therefore reviewed whether the discharge complied with those statutes.
Relation back occurs when the law supplying the limitations period expressly permits the amendment to date from the original pleading. The rule applies if the amendment asserts a claim arising from the same conduct or occurrence set out in the original pleading.
Supporting sources
The statute fixes the age of majority, usually at eighteen, and treats an unemancipated person below that age as lacking capacity to make a will. A purported will by such a minor is void.
Supporting sources
The statute divides the property into equal shares for each surviving descendant in the nearest generation and for each deceased descendant in that generation who left surviving descendants. Remaining shares then pass to the next generation in the same manner.
Supporting sources
…by the Federal Constitution), it would be surprising not to find a single state or federal case refusing to enforce a generally applicable statute because of its failure to make accommodation. Yet the dissent cites none—and to my knowledge, and to the knowledge of the academic defenders of the dissent's position, see, e. g., id. , at…