Understanding Acts vs. Rules: How Do They Shape Our Legal System?

What is the difference between Act and Rule?

In general, an Act is a formal written law that has been passed by a legislative body, such as a parliament. Acts are usually broader in scope and serve as a framework for governing a particular area or issue. They are enforceable by law and carry legal implications if not adhered to.

On the other hand, a Rule is a specific regulation or guideline that is derived from an Act or other legal authority. Rules are more detailed than Acts and provide specific instructions on how to implement and enforce the broader provisions laid out in the Act. Rules are often created by regulatory bodies or administrative agencies to ensure compliance with the law.

In summary, Acts establish the legal foundation and framework for a particular subject, while Rules provide the specific details and instructions for how to comply with the requirements set out in the Act.

Dear grpatel and emalda, In my opinion, one should take school education very seriously as it offers a firm foundation for higher learning. The answer to your question lies in the school subjects like Civics or Indian Polity.

As you must be aware, a government, or more specifically the Indian government, rests on three 'pillars', namely:

1. Legislature
2. Executive, and the
3. Judiciary

The "Legislature" frames the Laws or the Acts for the proper governance of its citizens.

The Acts are implemented by the "Executive" by formulating Rules. Thus, for every Act, you'll find corresponding sets of Rules wherein you'll find the procedure for implementation, various types of Forms identified by numbers or alphabets (like Form 13, Form D), Registers, etc., which are necessary for compliance with the Acts.

Finally, the Judiciary is to ensure that laws are implemented fairly. It also occasionally interprets the laws and comes up with its own "Rulings" which are called "Case laws," and these have the same force of law as the provisions in the original Acts.

Hope the above helps in demystifying the subject matter.

Warm regards.