legal authority
Right to enforce
Legal authority is the power to make binding decisions, enforce rules, or act officially within a system of law.
A judge has legal authority to issue sentences; a police officer has legal authority to make arrests.
The term also refers to sources that carry weight in legal reasoning—statutes, precedents, and scholarly works that courts treat as authoritative: The attorney cited several legal authorities supporting her argument.
Independent decision-making capacity
- independenceFreedom from external control
- statehoodCondition of being sovereign
- self-determinationControl over one's fate
- sovereign immunityState's protection from lawsuits
state sovereignty · tribal sovereignty · sovereign power · extraterritorial · diplomatic immunity · recognition
Inherent physical or structural makeup
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
- judiciaryLaw-interpreting government branch
- executiveSenior organizational leader
legislative · regulatory body · administrative agency · local government · police power · rulemaking · oversight
Trial venue or sports surface
- tribunalJudicial decision-making body
- venuePlace of occurrence
- appellateRelating to appeals
- circuitClosed electrical pathway
district · federal court · state court · municipal court · maritime law · subject matter · territorial · original jurisdiction
Guaranteed judicial fairness
- rule of lawSupremacy of established laws
- rightsJustified claims to freedoms
- equityImpartial treatment or ownership value
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
judicial review · civil rights · constitutional rights · habeas corpus · equal protection · access to justice · jurisprudence
Formal authoritative directive
- decreeAuthoritative legal command
- orderMethodical arrangement or request
- injunctionCourt-ordered behavioral requirement
- directiveFormal command or instruction
edict · writ · subpoena · ruling · judgment · mandamus · court order · restraining order
Accordance with founding charter
- validityQuality of being sound
- lawfulnessConformity to regulations
- enforceabilityCapacity for legal compulsion
- binding forceWhat holds components together
autonomy
Independent decision-making capacity
- independenceFreedom from external control
- statehoodCondition of being sovereign
- self-determinationControl over one's fate
sovereign immunity · state sovereignty · tribal sovereignty · sovereign power · extraterritorial · diplomatic immunity · recognition
constitution
Inherent physical or structural makeup
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
- judiciaryLaw-interpreting government branch
executive · legislative · regulatory body · administrative agency · local government · police power · rulemaking · oversight
court
Trial venue or sports surface
circuit · district · federal court · state court · municipal court · maritime law · subject matter · territorial · original jurisdiction · adjudication
due process
Guaranteed judicial fairness
- rule of lawSupremacy of established laws
- rightsJustified claims to freedoms
- equityImpartial treatment or ownership value
fairness · judicial review · civil rights · constitutional rights · habeas corpus · equal protection · access to justice · jurisprudence
mandate
Formal authoritative directive
- decreeAuthoritative legal command
- orderMethodical arrangement or request
- injunctionCourt-ordered behavioral requirement
directive · edict · writ · subpoena · ruling · judgment · mandamus · court order · restraining order · cease and desist
constitutionality
Accordance with founding charter
- validityQuality of being sound
- lawfulnessConformity to regulations
- enforceabilityCapacity for legal compulsion
binding force · ratification · empowerment · competence · sanctioned
- Roman LawRoman law, Corpus Juris Civilis, Justinian Code, Twelve Tables, Digest
- law and societysocial control, social order, rule of law, criminology, criminal justice
- German LawRichter, constitutional court, constitutional law, federal law, basic law
- Jewish AuthoritySanhedrin, beit din, rabbinate, dayan, high priest
- jurisprudencenatural law, Hart, Austin, Thomas Aquinas, rule of law
- power of attorneypower of attorney, agent, principal, attorney-in-fact, proxy
legal authorityillegitimacy
Lacking lawful authority
usurpation · tyranny · criminal enterprise · lawlessness · mob rule
legal authorityvigilante justice
Unauthorized punishment by civilians
brute force · coercion · warlordism · martial law · military junta
legal authorityextrajudicial
Outside court authority
unlawful · illegal · criminal · extralegal · unauthorized
legal, authority, illegal, authorize, authorized, legally, authorities, unauthorized, illegally