Common law refers to law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive action, and to corresponding legal systems that rely on precedential case law

Common law refers to law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive action, and to corresponding legal systems that rely on precedential case law.Equity is a set of legal principles, which supplement strict rules of law where their application would operate harshly. Equity is commonly said to mitigate the rigor of common law, allowing courts to use their discretion and apply justice fairly.The difference between common law and equity. Before 1873, England had two parallel court systems: courts of law that could only award money damages and recognized only the legal owner of property, and courts of equity that could issue injunctive an court order to a party to do something, give something to someone, or stop doing something and recognized trusts of property. Additionally, even before the separate courts were merged together, most courts were permitted to apply both law and equity, though under potentially different procedural law. Common law was constructed as an independent system and equity was develop as a remedy for the defects of common law and would be considered in isolation.

Each system had different rules since 1875 and they were administered in different courts.