In civil-law systems, by contrast, codes are used to cover all eventualities and judges have a more limited role of applying the law to the case in hand.
Even though England had many profound cultural ties to the rest of Europe in the Middle Ages, its legal tradition developed differently from that of the continent for a number of historical reasons. Today the difference between common and civil law lies in the main source of law. Although common-law systems make extensive use of statutes, judicial cases are regarded as the most important source of law, which gives judges an active role in developing rules. In civil-law systems, by contrast, codes are used to cover all eventualities and judges have a more limited role of applying the law to the case in hand.