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Philosophy

Delegated Legislation and the Principle of Ultra Vires

Quick fact

The term 'ultra vires' is Latin for 'beyond the powers.' In law, any delegated legislation made beyond the authority granted by Parliament is void from the start—not just voidable, but null and void, having no legal effect whatsoever.

Why this is interesting

Imagine a city council passing a rule that fines you $500 for walking your dog without a permit—but the law that created the council never gave it that power. Is that rule legally binding? The answer lies in a principle called ultra vires.