All countries have a legal foundation, generally consisting of a founding document, such as a constitution, and the laws
passed by the national legislature and other levels of lawmaking authority. These laws function in a hierarchy, which determines how they rank in authority and how the authority and scope of each level is derived from the constitution.1 The hierarchical structure varies from country to country, and depends on the form of government.2 However, there are general principles that are common to most countries and are key to determining the purpose of each piece of law within a legal and regulatory framework, and ultimately enforcing their authority and validity.