Statutes are laws passed by state legislatures (state laws) and by the United States Congress (federal laws). Statutes are one of the primary sources of law in the United States (sometimes referred to as statutory law) and cover a wide variety of legal topics. Courts often rely on statutes to resolve legal disputes (lawsuits) by applying the relevant statutes to the particular set of factual circumstances underlying the dispute.

Courts generally seek the clear and plain meaning of a statute, and if the court finds a statute ambiguous or “ambiguous on its face” (looking only at the words as written) the court may attempt to determine what the legislature intended in enacting the statute—known as legislative intent.

Related statutes are sometimes compiled in groups and referred to as codes—such as the penal code, the family code, or the code of civil procedure. Statutes may be amended (changed) or repealed (eliminated) by the legislature or Congress or declared unconstitutional (and thus unenforceable) by a court.

In Tennessee, as in other states, statutes are laws enacted by the state legislature or the United States Congress. These statutes encompass a broad range of legal areas and serve as a fundamental source of law, guiding courts in the resolution of disputes. Tennessee courts interpret statutes by seeking their clear and plain meaning. When a statute is ambiguous, courts may look into legislative intent to ascertain what the legislature aimed to achieve when passing the law. Tennessee has various codes that compile related statutes, such as the Tennessee Code Annotated, which includes the penal code, family code, and code of civil procedure, among others. The Tennessee General Assembly has the authority to amend or repeal statutes, and courts have the power to declare statutes unconstitutional, rendering them unenforceable. It's important to note that federal laws passed by Congress also apply in Tennessee and can preempt state laws under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution when there is a conflict.