**Legislation** (or "statutory law") is law which has been created by a legislature or other governing body. The term may refer to a single law, or the collective body of enacted law, while "statute" is also used to refer to a single law. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, which is typically also known as "legislation" while it remains under active consideration.

Under the Westminster system, an item of legislation is known as an Act of Parliament.

Legislation is usually proposed by a member of the legislature (e.g. a member of Congress or Parliament), or by the executive, then it is debated by members of the legislature and is often amended. 
Those who have the formal power to *create* legislation are known as legislators, the judicial branch of government may have the formal power to *interpret* legislation.

Other means of law-making
-------------------------

The act of making legislation is sometimes known as legislating. Under the doctrine of separation of powers, the law-making function is primarily the responsibility of the legislature. However, there are situations where legislation is enacted by other means (most commonly when constitutional law is enacted). These other forms of law-making include referenda and constitutional conventions. The term "legislation" is sometimes used to describe these situations, but other times, the term is used to distinguish acts of the legislature from these other lawmaking forms.

Related pages
-------------

* Constitution
* Constitutional economics
* Democracy
* Legal rights

| * v
* t
* e
Law |
| --- |
| Core subjects | 
* Administrative law
* Civil law
* Constitutional law
* Contract
* Criminal law
* Equity
* Evidence
* International law
* Criminal procedure
* Property law
* Public law
* Statutory law
* Tort

 |
| Other subjects | 
* Bankruptcy
* Competition law
* Consumer protection
* Cyberlaw
* Financial regulation
* Intellectual property
* International human rights
* Law of war
* Military law
* Probate
	+ Estate
	+ Will and testament
* Public international law
* Trust law

 |
| Sources of law | 
* Constitution
* Divine right
	+ Divine law
* Human rights
* Natural law
	+ Natural and legal rights
* Case law
	+ Precedent

 |
| Law making | 
* Codification
* Decree
	+ Edict
* Legislation
	+ Delegated legislation
	+ Regulation
* Repeal
* Treaty
* Statutory law
	+ Statute
	+ Act of Parliament
	+ Act of Congress (US)

 |
| Legal systems | 
* Civil law
* Common law
* Religious law
	+ Canon law
	+ Jewish law
	+ Sharia
* Roman law
* Rule of law
* Statutory law

 |
| Jurisprudence | 
* Adjudication
* Court-martial
* Fiqh
* Lawsuit/Litigation
* Legal opinion
* Judge
	+ Justice of the peace
	+ Magistrate
* Judgment
* Judicial review
* Jurisdiction
* Jury
* Justice
	+ Attorney
	+ Barrister
	+ Lawyer
	+ Legal representation
	+ Prosecutor
	+ Solicitor
* Trial
* Trier of fact
* Verdict

 |
| Legal institutions | 
* Bureaucracy
* Court
* Executive
* Judiciary
* Law enforcement
* Legal education
	+ Law school
* Legislature
* Military
* Police
* Political party
* Tribunal

 |
| 
* Category
* Index

 |

| Authority control Edit this at Wikidata |
| --- |
| National | 
* Spain
* France
* BnF data
* Ukraine
* Israel
* United States
* Japan
* Korea

 |
| Other | 
* NARA

 |