Page "Creature of statute" Paragraph 1

The term " creature of statute " is most common to the United States.

In the United Kingdom, these bodies are simply called statutory corporations ( or statutory bodies ) and generally have some governmental function.

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is an example.

In a wider sense, most companies in the UK are created under statute since the Companies Act 1985 specifies how a company may be created by a member of the public, but these companies are not called ' statutory corporations '.

Often, in American legal and business documents that speak of governing bodies ( e. g., a board that governs small businesses in China ) these bodies are described as " creatures of statute " to inform readers of their origins and format although the national governments that created them may not term them as creatures of statute.

Australia also uses the term " creature of statute " to describe some governmental bodies.