Laws, whether organic or ordinary, are either written or unwritten.
§ 1895.Laws; kinds
Title 2. Of the Kinds and Degrees of Evidence · Chapter 3. Writings · Article 2. Public Writings · Enacted 1872 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1895 classifies all law, whether organic or ordinary, as either written or unwritten, setting up the distinctions the rest of this article develops.
Full Text of § 1895
Plain-English Summary
This short section supplies the master division the following sections build on. Laws, it states, whether organic (constitutional) or ordinary (statutory), fall into one of two categories: written or unwritten. Everything else in this article on public writings works out what each category contains and how it is proved.
The section itself does no more than draw the line; Sections 1896 through 1899 fill in what written law is, what makes up California's written law specifically, and what unwritten law consists of.
Frequently Asked Questions
What two categories does Section 1895 divide all law into?
Written law and unwritten law.
Does this classification apply to constitutional law as well as statutes?
Yes. The section covers organic law and ordinary law alike, both falling under the written/unwritten division.
Amendment History
(Enacted in 1872.)
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the West's Annotated California Codes / Thomson Reuters. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: written versus unwritten law californiaclassification of laws organic ordinary