The
United Kingdom has three
legal systems.
English law, which applies in
England and Wales, and
Northern Ireland law, which applies in
Northern Ireland, are based on
common-law principles.
Scots law, which applies in
Scotland, is a pluralistic system based on
civil-law principles, with common law elements dating back to the
High Middle Ages. While England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland diverge in the more detailed rules of common law and equity, and while there are certain fields of legislative competence devolved in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and London, there are substantive fields of law which apply across the United Kingdom.