1.2 Why legislation is needed

Under the general law, a person may obtain rights or be subject to obligations because of a particular legal relationship with another person. The relationship may arise because of agreement or because of a document made by a person conferring a power over the person’s property on another person. It may be a legal relationship found to exist because of a civil wrong committed by a person. These relationships are essentially narrow in their ambit and can not be unilaterally created under the general law for all citizens or for all citizens of particular classes.

Only legislation, properly authorised and made, can unilaterally create or change rights and obligations of citizens generally, or change or affect the operation of the general law.

Legislation may also be an option chosen to present a policy in a particularly powerful way or to create a state of affairs that can only be further changed or brought to an end by legislation.