supreme law
Nation's founding document
Supreme law refers to the highest legal authority in a governmental system, the foundational rules that take precedence over all other laws and cannot be overridden by ordinary legislation.
In the United States, the Constitution is explicitly designated as the supreme law of the land, meaning federal and state laws must conform to it or be struck down.
The court ruled the statute violated the supreme law and was therefore unenforceable.
- legal theoryDoctrine explaining law's foundations
- preamblePreliminary statement before content
- founding fathersMale originators of institutions
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
- judicial reviewCourts invalidating unconstitutional acts
amendments · bill of rights · Marbury v. Madison · landmark case · federalism · charter · fundamental rights · equal protection · separation of powers · checks and balances · legal framework · textualism · originalism · democracy · judicial activism · codification · precedent · social contract
- constitutional lawConstitution, Bill of Rights, First Amendment, Second Amendment, Fourth Amendment
- constitutionsbill of rights, constitutional amendment, constitutional reform, clause, clauses
- governance reformsconstitutional convention, constitutional court, amendment process, bill of rights, checks and balances
supreme lawregulation
Official rules governing conduct
ordinance · bylaw · municipal code · local ordinance · executive order
supreme lawlawlessness
Absence of governing rules
rule of man · anarchy · tyranny · nullity · despotism
supreme, law, supremacy, supremely, supremacist, laws, lawful, lawfully, lawless