In legal research, a primary authority is a term referring to statements of law that are binding upon the courts, government, and individuals.
The search for applicable primary authority is the most important part of the process of legal research.
Examples of primary authority include the verbatim texts of: Verbatim re-prints by private commercial law publishing companies are also considered primary authority, as long as the document purports to be and actually is a verbatim re-print of the applicable document, statute, regulation, court opinion, etc.
Primary Authority can also refer to the scheme, created by the British Government, for Local Authority Regulators to provide businesses with tailored advice on regulatory matters.
The formal relationship where a business or organisation works together with a Regulator under the scheme is referred to as a[1] Primary Authority Partnership.