Codified federal, state and local laws are all examples of positive law. Legislative acts, judicial orders, executive decrees and administrative regulations are other examples of positive law.
A positive law is any statutory man-made law that is created by a political entity, such as a state. Positive law consists of both statutory and case law. Positive law is often contrasted with natural law. While positive law is a human construct, natural law is seen as universal and determined by nature. Natural law gives rise to a set of accepted moral principles within a society. Positive law is written, while natural law is unwritten. Common law draws on both positive and natural law to establish precedent.
