We know from section one that common law, or case law or judge-made law is one of the sources of the laws used in the three jurisdictions of the UK. This will be further developed in Section 5.

In fact, legislation as we saw it is produced in Section 2 has nowadays become the most common source of legal change and today, when we think or speak of laws, we mainly refer to Acts of Parliament.

What is scope of the statutory laws ?
 

Acts (or Statutes) can be applied to one,
two or all three jurisdictions within the United Kingdom,

whereas the common law jurisdictions are limited.

 

Here is a sample excerpt from a statute

Mark that reference is still made to the Queen

Police Reform Act 2002
2002 Chapter 30 - continued

                                                      PART 1

                                          POWERS OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
                    1
                        National Policing Plan

                        After section 36 of the 1996 Act there shall be inserted-
"36A               National Policing Plan

                             (1) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State, before the beginning of each financial year, to prepare a National Policing Plan for that year.
                              (2) The Secretary of State shall lay the National Policing Plan for a financial year before Parliament.
                             (3) Subject to subsection (4), any such plan must be laid before Parliament not later than 30th November in the preceding financial year.
                            (4) If there are exceptional circumstances, any such plan may be laid before Parliament after the date mentioned in subsection (3); but it must be so laid before the beginning of the financial year to which it relates.

                            (5) If a plan is laid before Parliament after the date mentioned in  subsection (3), the plan must contain a statement of the exceptional circumstances that gave rise to its being so laid.

                            (6) The National Policing Plan for a financial year-

                                     (a) must set out whatever the Secretary of State considers to be the strategic policing priorities generally for the police forces maintained for police areas in England and Wales for the period of three years beginning with that year;

                                     (b) must describe what, in relation to that period, the Secretary of State is intending or proposing so far as each of the following is concerned-
                                          (i) the setting of objectives under section 37 and the giving of general directions in relation to any objective so set;
                                          (ii) the specification, under section 4 of the Local Government Act 1999 (c. 27) (performance indicators), of performance indicators  (within the meaning of that section) for police authorities;
                                         (iii) the making of regulations under the powers conferred by this Act, by Part 4 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (c. 16) (police training) and by Part 2 of the Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30) (complaints etc.);
                                          (iv) the issuing of guidance under any provision of this Act or of Part 2 of the Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 00); and
                                          (v) the issuing and revision of codes of practice under this Act and under Chapter 1 of Part 4 of the Police Reform Act 2002 (powers exercisable by civilians);

                                     (c) may contain such other information, plans and advice as the Secretary of State considers relevant to the priorities set out in the  plan.

---

But Acts may also be limited to :

• geographical locations within a jurisdiction as we have seen with the devolution process for example or with "local "by(e)-laws or
• to specific persons or companies.

Primary and secondary legislation
 

In terms of influence and volume, the most important legislation is
Acts of Parliament -called primary legislation.

Regulations and Orders

 

Here is an example of a Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 142
 

The Secretary of State for Health, in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 16A(1), (2) and (3) and 126(4) of, and paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 5A to, the National Health Service Act 1977[1] and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, following compliance with the consultation requirements contained in regulations made under section 16A(5) of the Act[2], hereby makes the following Order:

          Citation, commencement and interpretation

 1.  - (1) This Order may be cited as the Easington Primary Care Trust (Establishment) Order 2002 and shall come into force on 25th January 2002.

(2) In this Order, unless the context otherwise requires -
 

"the Act" means the National Health Service Act 1977;

"Executive Committee" has the meaning given in regulation 1(2) of the Membership Regulations;

"member", "officer member" and "non-officer member" have the meanings given in regulation 1(2) of the Membership Regulations;

"Membership Regulations" means the Primary Care Trusts (Membership, Procedure and Administration Arrangements) Regulations 2000[3];

"operational date" is to be construed in accordance with paragraph 1(2) of Schedule 5A to the Act;

"preparatory period" is to be construed in accordance with paragraph 2(2) of Schedule 5A to the Act;

"the trust" means the Easington Primary Care Trust established by article 2 of this Order.

Establishment, operational date and name of the Primary Care Trust

2.  - (1) There is hereby established with effect from 25th January 2002 a Primary Care Trust to be called the Easington Primary Care Trust.

(2) The operational date of the trust shall be 1st April 2002.

 
What we see in this example is that the Health Secretary is given authority by a parent Act -the National Health Service Act 1977[1]- to "make(s) the following Order"

By(e)-laws