Administrative law is the exercise of government authority by the executive branch and its agencies. In more detail, it is the "law governing the organization and operation of administrative agencies (including executive and independent agencies) and the relations of administrative agencies with the legislature, the executive, the judiciary, and the public. Administrative law is divided into three parts: (1) the statutes endowing agencies with powers and establishing rules of substantive law relating to those powers; (2) the body of agency-made law, consisting of administrative rules, regulations, reports, or opinions containing findings of fact, and orders; and (3) the legal principles governing the acts of public agents when those acts conflict with private rights." - Black's Law Dictionary, 9th ed.
Under the Delegation Doctrine, the legislative branch passes laws (“enabling acts”) giving authority to agencies to create and implement regulations to interpret and administer laws. These regulations have the same force as statutory law.
Note: The terms "regulation" and "rule" are used interchangeably in administrative law.
Related LibGuide:
1) Locate the statutory or constitutional provision creating the agency or granting the agency authority to act.Use an annotated code to assist in determining whether there is authority indicating that the agency acted within the grant of power.
2) Locate the text of the relevant rule in the Oklahoma Administrative Code.
3) Update the rule in the Oklahoma Register to find any proposed changes.
4) Validate the regulation with a citator.
5) Locate agency and judicial decisions applying the rule in similar circumstances or an Attorney General Opinion regarding the rule.
The municipal ordinances of select Oklahoma towns are available via Oklahoma Library of Municode.
