Public law

{{About|the area of law|a “public law” in the United States|Act of Congress|the journal|Public Law (journal)|all other uses|Public law (disambiguation)}}

{{About|the area of law|a “public law” in the United States|Act of Congress|the journal|Public Law (journal)|all other uses|Public law (disambiguation)}}

{{more footnotes|date= April 2014}}

{{more footnotes|date= April 2014}}

”’Public law”’ is the part of law that governs relations between [[legal person]]s and a [[government]],<ref name=”oxdic” /> between different institutions within a [[State (polity)|state]], between [[Separation of powers|different branches of governments]],<ref name=”PubLaw”>{{cite book |last1= Forcese |first1= Craig |last2= Dodek |first2= Adam |last3= Bryant |first3= Philip |last4= Carver |first4= Peter |last5= Haigh |first5= Richard |last6= Liston |first6= Mary |last7= MacIntosh |first7= Constance |title= Public Law: Cases, Commentary and Analysis |date= 2015 |publisher= Emond Montgomery Publishing Ltd. |location= Toronto, ON |isbn= 978-1-55239-664-3 |page= 4 |edition= Third}}</ref> as well as relationships between persons that are of direct concern to society. Public law comprises [[constitutional law]], [[administrative law]], [[tax law]] and [[criminal law]],<ref name=”oxdic”>{{cite book|title= Oxford Dictionary of Law|year= 2003|publisher= Oxford University Press|location= Oxford|isbn= 0198607563|author= Elizabeth A. Martin|edition= 7th}}</ref> as well as all [[procedural law]]. Laws concerning relationships between individuals belong to [[private law]].

”’Public law”’ is the part of law that governs relations between [[legal person]]s and a government,<ref name=”oxdic” /> between different institutions within a [[State (polity)|state]], between [[Separation of Powers|different branches of governments]],<ref name=”PubLaw”>{{cite book |last1= Forcese |first1= Craig |last2= Dodek |first2= Adam |last3= Bryant |first3= Philip |last4= Carver |first4= Peter |last5= Haigh |first5= Richard |last6= Liston |first6= Mary |last7= MacIntosh |first7= Constance |title= Public Law: Cases, Commentary and Analysis |date= 2015 |publisher= Emond Montgomery Publishing Ltd. |location= Toronto, ON |isbn= 978-1-55239-664-3 |page= 4 |edition= Third}}</ref> and relationships between persons that are of direct concern to society. Public law comprises [[constitutional law]], [[administrative law]], [[tax law]] and [[criminal law]],<ref name=”oxdic”>{{cite book|title= Oxford Dictionary of Law|year= 2003|publisher= Oxford University Press|location= Oxford|isbn= 0198607563|author= Elizabeth A. Martin|edition= 7th}}</ref> as well as all [[procedural law]]. Laws concerning relationships between individuals belong to [[private law]].

The relationships public law governs are asymmetric and inequalized. Government bodies (central or local) can make decisions about the rights of persons. However, as a consequence of the [[rule of law|rule-of-law]] doctrine, authorities may only act within the law (”secundum et intra legem”). The government must obey the law. For example, a citizen unhappy with a decision of an administrative authority can ask a court for [[judicial review]].

The relationships public law governs are asymmetric and inequalized. Government bodies (central or local) can make decisions about the rights of persons. However, as a consequence of the [[rule of law|rule-of-law]] doctrine, authorities may only act within the law (”secundum et intra legem”). The government must obey the law. For example, a citizen unhappy with a decision of an administrative authority can ask a court for [[judicial review]].