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 Statutes may be amended (changed) or repealed (eliminated) by the legislature or Congress or declared unconstitutional (and thus unenforceable) by a court.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 Massachusetts, as in other states, statutes are laws enacted by the state legislature, known as the Massachusetts General Court, and by the United States Congress at the federal level. These statutes encompass a broad range of legal areas and serve as a fundamental source of law, often referred to as statutory law. When resolving legal disputes, Massachusetts courts interpret and apply these statutes to the facts of each case. The courts strive to ascertain the clear and plain meaning of a statute. However, if a statute is deemed ambiguous, the courts may look into legislative history and other interpretive tools to discern the legislative intent behind the enactment. Massachusetts statutes, along with those of other states, may be organized into codes based on related subject matter, such as the Massachusetts General Laws (MGL), which include codes like the penal code or the family code. The state legislature has the authority to amend or repeal statutes, and the judiciary has the power to declare statutes unconstitutional, rendering them unenforceable. It's important to note that federal statutes can also be applied in Massachusetts, particularly in matters that fall under federal jurisdiction.