Statutes are laws that are passed by the parliament. A statute is a formal written law that has been approved by the legislative branch of government, which is typically a parliament or a congress. Statutes can cover a wide range of subjects, from criminal law and civil law to taxation and regulation of business activities. Once a statute is passed by the parliament, it becomes part of the legal code of a country or jurisdiction and is enforceable by the courts. Statutes are one of the main sources of law in most legal systems, and they play a key role in shaping the legal framework of a society.