Legal Definitions - colonial law

Definition: Colonial law refers to the legal system that governs a colony or colonies. It can also refer to the body of law that was in effect in the 13 original colonies of the United States before the Declaration of Independence.

Examples:

• In the 18th and 19th centuries, European powers established colonies around the world and imposed their own legal systems on the indigenous populations. This is an example of colonial law.
• In the United States, the British colonial government enforced laws such as the Navigation Acts, which restricted trade between the colonies and other countries. These laws were part of the colonial legal system.
• Before the American Revolution, the 13 colonies were subject to British colonial law, which included the English common law and various statutes passed by the British Parliament.

The examples illustrate how colonial law is a legal system that is imposed on a colony by an external power. In the case of the United States, colonial law was eventually replaced by a new legal system based on the principles of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.