“Whats The Difference Between An Act, Section, & Regulation?”

Hi everyone,

I'm new around here, but have been enjoying many of the posts i've been reading. I have a question however, does anyone know the difference between and Act, a section, and a regulation?

For example, the Highway traffic act is an act of government. But how does section 106 of the HTA fit in with Regulation 613. They are both dealing with seatbelt issues? And does one take precedence over the other?

Appreciate any help on this.

As you've said, an act is passed by the government. The two big acts we deal with around here are the Highway Traffic Act and Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act. Regulations are created for the the various acts, to provide more detail and clarity. So the HTA would likely say you must wear a seatbelt, and the related regulation would explain what type of seatbelt needs to be worn by what type of person. So the act comes before the regulation, but typically you require both. There really shouldn't be any conflicts between what the two say in a perfect world.

Does anyone know why the regulations are numbered the way they are? It seems kind of haphazrd. I would have expected that the regulation numbers would be prefixed to the section of the hta they refer to. Like for instance seatbelts are in section 106, but covered in regulation 613. Is there any meaning to this?