public law
State-citizen legal framework
Public law is the body of law governing relationships between individuals and the state, including constitutional law, administrative law, and criminal law.
It concerns how government exercises power and how citizens interact with public institutions.
The term contrasts with private law, which governs relationships between individuals: Public law determines what the government can do; private law determines what you owe your neighbor.
Enacted written rule
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
- actDeed or performance
- billAmount owed, written
- enactmentPassing into law
ordinance · code · regulation · decree · directive · parliament · senate · legislature
Inherent physical or structural makeup
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
- federalismDivided governmental authority system
- separation of powersConstitutional distribution of authority
- judicial reviewCourts invalidating unconstitutional acts
supremacy clause · amendment · charter · bill of rights · checks and balances · fundamental rights · due process · equal protection
Guaranteed individual legal protections
- human rightsInalienable personal freedoms
- civil libertiesRights limiting government power
- freedomAbsence of constraint
- equalitySame status for all
non-discrimination · due process · suffrage · franchise · enfranchisement · accessibility · protection · remedy
Official rules governing conduct
- agencyPower to act
- bureaucracyRigid administrative system
- rulemakingAgency regulation creation process
- executive orderBinding directive from leadership
licensing · permits · inspection · compliance · enforcement · regulatory body · adjudication · delegation
Pursuing legal charges
- defendantParty facing charges
- indictmentFormal charge from jury
- penal codeLaws governing offenses
- sentencingImposing legal punishment
punishment · incarceration · probation · parole · criminal procedure · arraignment · plea · conviction
statute
Enacted written rule
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
- actDeed or performance
- billAmount owed, written
enactment · ordinance · code · regulation · decree · directive · parliament · senate · legislature · assembly
constitution
Inherent physical or structural makeup
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
- federalismDivided governmental authority system
- separation of powersConstitutional distribution of authority
judicial review · supremacy clause · amendment · charter · bill of rights · checks and balances · fundamental rights · due process · equal protection · constitutional court
civil rights
Guaranteed individual legal protections
- human rightsInalienable personal freedoms
- civil libertiesRights limiting government power
- freedomAbsence of constraint
equality · non-discrimination · due process · suffrage · franchise · enfranchisement · accessibility · protection · remedy · redress
regulation
Official rules governing conduct
- agencyPower to act
- bureaucracyRigid administrative system
- rulemakingAgency regulation creation process
executive order · licensing · permits · inspection · compliance · enforcement · regulatory body · adjudication · delegation · discretion
prosecution
Pursuing legal charges
- defendantParty facing charges
- indictmentFormal charge from jury
- penal codeLaws governing offenses
sentencing · punishment · incarceration · probation · parole · criminal procedure · arraignment · plea · conviction · acquittal
- lawlawyer, lawyers, attorney, attorneys, court
- lawslaws, statute, ordinance, acts, statutes
- legal fieldscivil procedure, criminal procedure, criminal code, penal code, legal theory
- legal systemsjudiciary, criminal code, court system, penal code, laws
- legal topicscriminal code, legal procedures, legal documents, compliance, litigation
- legislationbills, acts, laws, statutes, bill
public lawcivil law
Law governing private disputes
contract law · tort law · property law · commercial law · family law
law, public, republic, publication, publishing, published, publisher, publicly, republican