How a Law Becomes a Law

LEG 215 Legal Research and Writing

May 4, 2015

Laws are rules that govern human behavior and are always enforced by the authority of the state. The constitution, legislation and the common law are the sources of authority in which Americans can legislate. The Supreme law of the land is The Constitution. Most of the states in the United States have their own constitution and own body of case laws, but The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights are the American’s Law foundation. (Stone,1936). Another source of law is common law. It’s always called the judge made laws that is developed based on stare decisis doctrine. This is law developed in the England and brought into the United States. It is actually law developed by judges of the United States and England. This may take the form of a precedent which makes a decision from a superior court to be binding over the same issues that are raised. It can also be through stare decisis in order to promote certainty and predictability of the law (Act, 2002). Administrative law is also a source of authority to legislate. This is always the law that is created by administrative agencies that are formed by the legislature. The laws that are made always have the same effect as those made by the state. The administrative law can be either fall into the administrative category and regulatory (Act, 2002).Administrative agencies effect government programs while the regulatory agencies oversee and regulate various practices carried within the state. The administrative law gets its power from regulations which are law made to give them authority. Statutory law is also a source of authority to legislate. This creates the law through the legislature which modifies, abolishes and/or adopts common law. There sole mandate is to legislate laws that