How did judges in England develop 'common law'?

Okay, let's talk about how English judges developed common law. Think of common law as the legal system that evolved organically over centuries, not through acts of Parliament, but through the decisions of judges. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, royal judges started travelling around the country to resolve disputes. They began to record their decisions, and over time, a system developed where judges would look back at previous rulings in similar cases to guide their own judgments. This is the key: it's all about precedent. If a similar case had been decided a certain way before, the judge would usually follow that precedent. This created consistency and predictability in the legal system. So, the judges didn't just make things up as they went along; they built upon a foundation of past decisions and long-standing traditions. That's why "by a process of tradition and precedence" is the correct answer. It reflects the gradual, case-by-case development of common law, rooted in the past.