Statutory law (Layer 1)
Law passed by a legislature. The first of the five layers: it sets the legal frame and usually delegates the detail to regulators.
Overview
Statutes establish rights, duties, prohibitions and the powers of regulators. They are typically broad, leaving operational detail to regulations, guidance and supervision.
Examples include the Dodd-Frank Act and Canada’s Bank Act in financial services, the GDPR and PIPEDA in privacy, HIPAA in healthcare, and the Sherman Act and Canada’s Competition Act in competition.
It connects most directly to The five layers of obligation, Legislative authority, Dodd-Frank Act, GDPR and HIPAA.
Check the official sources below for legal scope, applicable dates and exceptions. This entry is an explanatory reference, not legal advice.
Why it matters
Statute is the root of the obligation tree. A statutory change can reshape whole regulatory regimes.
Who it affects
All regulated organisations.
Where it sits
Ten linked steps connect where you operate to the proof that you complied.
- 01Jurisdiction
- 02Industry
- 03Activity
- 04Authority
- 05Regulation
- 06Requirement
- 07Guidance
- 08Control
- 09Evidence
- 10Enforcement
Connections
The terms most closely tied to Layer 1. Select one to open it.
What to do about it
- 1Tag every obligation with the layer it came from.
- 2Watch the faster-moving layers more closely.
- 3Trace each lower-layer obligation back to its source.
From requirement to evidence.
Regulation Layer tracks statutes as layer one and links every lower-layer obligation back to the statute that authorises it.
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