These are the two main categories of legislation in the UK.
‘Primary legislation’ is the general term used to describe the main laws passed by the legislative bodies of the UK. The principal examples are:
Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly (and other primary legislation for Northern Ireland)
Church of England Measures (legislation for the established church in England passed by the General Synod of the Church of England)
These types of legislation are sometimes referred to as ‘statutes’. When we speak of ‘the statute book’, we mean the whole of the statute law currently in force. The term ‘primary legislation’ also includes certain legislative instruments made by the Crown under the royal prerogative (called ‘prerogative instruments’).
‘Secondary legislation’ (also called ‘subordinate legislation’) is delegated legislation made by a person or body under authority contained in primary legislation. Typically, powers to make secondary legislation may be conferred on ministers, on the Crown, or on public bodies. For example, the Office of Communications (OFCOM) is given such powers by the Communications Act 2003. The main types of secondary legislation are:
SLD carries most (but not all) types of legislation, both primary and secondary. Most types of primary legislation are held in ‘revised’ form. This means that amendments made to them by subsequent legislation are incorporated into the text. Most types of secondary legislation on SLD are not revised and are held only in the form in which they were originally made.
For a full list of the types of legislation held on SLD and whether they are revised, see Types of Legislation on SLD.
Parent topic
Introduction to UK Legislation