English law is also a common law system, relying heavily on previous precedents that have been set down in similar decisions. Civil law juristictions (for examp

English law is also a common law system, relying heavily on previous precedents that have been set down in similar decisions. Civil law juristictions (for example France) give less weight to precedence, so courts have narrower scope to interpret areas the current law does not cover exactly. See here for an explanation (EDIT: more relevant secion from same wikipedia page) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_law#Common_law_as_a_foundation_for_commercial_economies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_law#Common_law_as_a_fou... English civil law therefore has gained popularity, as it is reliable (precedents can be consulted), and because judges can easily adapt previous rulings to new circumstances.