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Henry II sought to introduce a 'common law' applicable nationwide, by establishing a cadre of judges who roamed the circuits, sitting in pop-up courts ('assizes') and applying the new common law. A key feature of the so-called 'common law tradition' is that where legislation has gaps or ambiguities, or calls for clarifying interpretation by judges hearing cases, the rulings of the most senior courts (today the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court) have the force of binding law, and must be followed by lower courts. This means that if you want to know the law on a given topic, the statute alone only tells you half the story; you will need to know what gloss has been slapped over it by court precedents.