Common Law System legal system prevalent in England, the United States, and countries colonized by England, e.g. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and based on prior case law rather than written codes. To be effective, stare decisis requires the existence of reported decisions and a recognized court hierarchy. Together, precedent and stare decisis act to make case law a source of legal authority. Primary Legal Authority authorized statements of the law by the governmental institutions that produce it, e.g. statutes, case law, rules and regulations, agency opinions.
Primary authority can be either mandatory or persuasive depending on the jurisdiction of origin.
Secondary Legal Authority authority that explains the law but does not establish it, e.g. law review articles, treatises, Restatements of the Law. Secondary authority can never be more than persuasive.