If a case has been superseded by statute, what is its status?

If a case has been superseded by statute, what is its status?

• A. It remains good law.
• B. It is considered 'bad' law.
• C. It becomes mandatory.
• D. It is binding on all courts.

Answer: (B)

When a statute is later enacted that covers the same issue, the statute controls and the old case is no longer good law on that point. The case’s ruling is superseded, so it cannot bind courts on the issue the statute addresses. The case may still have historical value or apply to other, unaffected issues, but on the superseded point it loses its force. That’s why the usual description is not good law—and people often colloquially call it “bad law.”

When a statute is later enacted that covers the same issue, the statute controls and the old case is no longer good law on that point. The case’s ruling is superseded, so it cannot bind courts on the issue the statute addresses. The case may still have historical value or apply to other, unaffected issues, but on the superseded point it loses its force. That’s why the usual description is not good law—and people often colloquially call it “bad law.”