A statute is a formal, written law of a country or state, written and enacted by its legislative authority, perhaps to then be ratified by the highest executive in the government, and finally published. It is sometimes informally referred to as "black letter law."
While these enactments are subordinate to the law of the whole state or nation, they are nonetheless a part of the body of a jurisdiction's statutory law.
Private legislation that may originate as a private bill is a lesser known aspect of statutory law.
In some U.S. states, the entire body of statutory law is referred to as a "code," such as the Ohio Revised Code.
The term "statutory rape" is used when national and/or regional governments, citing an interest in protecting minors, consider people under a certain age to be unable to give informed consent, and therefore consider sexual contact with them to be equivalent to rape regardless of their stated consent.
Laws vary widely in their definitions of statutory rape; some states make exceptions when the older person is also young or of a similar age, or if he or she marries the minor before the act of sexual intercourse or before being charged with the offense.
The issue of statutory rape may be further complicated by minors who, for whatever reason (early physical development, calculating use of adult clothing and makeup, fake ID, et cetera) appear to be of consenting age and/or lie about their age in order to pursue sexual relationships with older persons.
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