How are laws made in the UK?
• primary legislation (https://t.me/espedition/537), known as Acts of Parliament or statutes, which begin life as drafts called Bills (see B and C below);
• secondary or delegated legislation, such as statutory instruments, bye-laws, and professional regulations.
A new Act is passed in order to:
• update or amend(=change) existing legislation;
• legislate for new circumstances and enforce government policies;
• ensure UK compliance with International or European Union (EU) Law;
• consolidate laws by bringing together into one statute all the existing statutes on one topic;
• codify rules by bringing together all the case law and statutes on a particular subject where the principles are established.
Parliament can enact(=make) any law it chooses or repeal obsolete laws(=annul old laws) which are no longer relevant, and the courts must enforce it. The exception to this is EU law.
Note: Act of Parliament and Bill are always capitalised(=written in capital letters) in legal usage; statute is not. Statutory instruments are delegated legislation created by government ministers. Bye-laws are made by Local Government or public bodies.
an Act (BrE) = a Bill (AmE)
delegated legislation = legislation made not directly by an Act of the Parliament, but under the authority of an Act of the Parliament
enforce = cause to happen
ensure UK compliance with = make sure that UK meets rules or standard
statute = a written law passed by a legislative body
consolidate laws = join together into one system of laws
case law = based on judicial decisions (=made by court) rather than law based on constitutions, statutes, or regulations