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Federal-law definition

Some laws are made at the federal level and some laws are made by the states. For example, laws on commerce, bankruptcy or taxation are made at the federal level. State and local governments pass laws about property, divorce, custody, and other matters that really don't affect anyone outside of that state. The U.S. Constitution limits the lawmaking of the federal government to laws that stem from the "commerce clause" which gives the federal government the power to regulate anything having to do with "interstate" commerce or commerce across state lines. For example, federal laws can be made that.

Regulate "interstate" commerce, which is commerce across state lines.

Regulate how financial transactions are made and how bankruptcy can be granted.

Protect consumers such as product safety.

Protect the civil rights such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Regulate income taxes, as allowed with the 16th Amendment.

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A body of law at the highest or national level of a federal government, consisting of a constitution, enacted laws and the court decisions pertaining to them. The federal law of the United States consists of the United States Constitution, laws enacted by Congress, and decisions of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
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Federal-law Sentence Examples

  • If the decision of the state court is in favor of the right claimed under Federal law or against the validity or applicability of the state law set up, there is no ground for appeal, because the applicability or authority of Federal law in the particular case could receive no further protection from a Federal court than has in fact been given by the state court.

  • The federal law expelling the Jesuits was proclaimed in Bavaria on the 6th of September 1871 and was extended to the Redemptorists in 1873.

  • Foote (1780-1846) of Connecticut, calling for the restriction of the sale of public lands to those already in the market, but was con cerned primarily with the relation to one another and the respective powers of the federal government and the individual states, Hayne contending that the constitution was essentially a compact between the states, and the national government and the states, and that any state might, at will, nullify any federal law which it considered to be in contravention of that compact.

  • From 1815 to 1848 it shared with Zurich and Lucerne the supreme rule (which shifted from one to the other every two years) in the Swiss confederation, while in 1848 a federal law made Bern the sole political capital, where the federal government is permanently fixed and where the ministers of foreign powers reside.

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