What do you call a legal statement that states a fact rather than stating a rule of conduct or procedure?
I can't think of a word. Is there any such word? If there's no such word, which words would you use to refer to it in the shortest and most concise way?
If you mean something that's determined in court, it would be a finding of fact, or just finding, as opposed to a conclusion of law or a ruling. Findings often involve more than finding of fact - a jury verdict is a finding, even where it's just guilty or not guilty. However, they will always be based on questions of fact, to which the law may have been applied. A final decision may include findings and rationales to come to a final conclusion, applying the law to the facts, in a case where one or more judges are acting as finders of fact as well as judges of law.
If it's something that two parties to a case have agreed as a fact, which the court will then presume to be correct as the parties are agreed, that's a stipulation.
If it is the parties to a contract or lawsuit agreeing to some fact, it's a "stipulation".
If it is a statement in legislation that such-and-such is considered true, it's a "finding" of the legislature.
It can be a "statutory declaration" if you want to state a fact and want to have it carry some legal weight.
For example, in Australia,
"A statutory declaration is a written statement which a person swears, affirms or declares to be true in the presence of an authorised witness."
NSW statutory declaration form
Alternatively, it could be an "affidavit":
An affidavit is a written statement where the contents are sworn or affirmed to be true. [...] Affidavits are used in court as evidence.
