MCkercher. Frequently asked questions

Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities and decision making of administrative agencies of government (for example, tribunals, boards or commissions) that are part of a national regulatory scheme in such areas as police law, international trade, manufacturing, the environment, taxation, broadcasting, immigration and transport.

Statutes and regulations are both laws. There is no difference in their effect. Regulations create obligations and requirements which must be followed in the same way as if they were set out in a statute. Regulations give the law flexibility. When the Legislature or Parliament wants to pass a new law as a statute, there is a detailed procedure that has to be followed which can take some time. A regulation can be passed more quickly and this allows lawmakers to respond to situations quickly without having to amend a current statute or pass a new statute. Many statutes specifically state that there is a power to pass regulations under the terms of the statute.  An example of how a regulation gives the law flexibility is where a statute establishes monetary amounts or measurements, such as fines or limits that might change over time. Regulations will set out the specific details of the amounts and if the amount needs to change, the regulation can be updated relatively quickly.