Laws Vs Rules Vs Regulations | difference between Laws, Rules and Regulations

Laws are enactments of legislature and enjoys the legitimacy of backing from the state. Laws are sacrosanct and their violation can be prosecuted in court of law. Generally speaking, laws are reflection of societal ethics that are codified and laid down for enforcement.

Rules are subordinate legislation and enjoy the same enforceability as law. Law by nature cannot be comprehensive and cannot cover all the possible situations. So every law contains a provision for making rules necessary for its implementation. The rule–making powers are with government’s executive branch. Rules cannot go beyond the law and are subject to ratification of legislature.

Regulations are directives that are formed in context of any particular situation. Now a days, the word ‘regulation’ is used for the rules made by the regulatory authorities like Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or Central Electricity Regulatory Commission etc for regulating a particular sectors like telecom sector, power sector etc.