Substantive and Procedural Law - Explained
What is Substantive vs Procedural Law?
Written by J. Mance Gordon
Updated at April 21st, 2024
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What is Substantive Law?
Substantive law says what you can or cannot do. A substantive law defines a legal relationship or prohibits certain conduct.
For example, a state that says, though shalt not steal. This would be a substantive law.
What is Procedural law?
Procedural law dictates how the substantive law is administered or carried out. It determines how you must do something.
For example, a state statute reads, an individual has 30 days to file a response to a civil complaint. This is a procedural law dictating how to carry out a civil action.
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- Sources of state and federal law?
- United States Code of Laws
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