Local ordinance facts for kids

A local ordinance is a local rule or law. These laws are usually found in a city's or town's official rulebook, called a municipal code. Think of them as the rules for your neighborhood, set by your local government.

Local Laws in the United States

In the United States, local ordinances are laws that apply to a specific city, town, or county. They work alongside bigger laws from the state and the federal government.

Sometimes, a state government limits what local governments can do. This idea is known as the "Dillon Rule," named after John Forrest Dillon. In states that follow this rule, local governments can only make laws on topics that the state specifically allows them to.

Other states believe that local governments have a natural right to make their own rules. In these states, local governments can create laws on almost any topic, as long as the state government hasn't forbidden it.

Local Laws in Japan

In Japan, local governments like prefectures (like big regions) and municipalities (like cities and towns) can also make their own laws. These are called ordinances (条例, jōrei). This power comes from Article 94 of the Japanese Constitution.

For an ordinance to be made in Japan, it generally needs to be based on a larger national law. It must also follow any existing national laws, though it can set stricter rules if needed. The ordinance must also be about things that concern the local government.

Local assemblies (like a city council) usually need to approve these ordinances. Then, the mayor or governor of the local area officially announces them. The mayor or governor can ask for a second vote on an ordinance, but they cannot completely stop it from becoming law.

Local Laws in British Colonies

In places that used to be British colonies, laws made by the local government were often called Ordinances. These ordinances sometimes gave power to other groups, like government departments, to create smaller rules that helped the main ordinances work.

For example, in Hong Kong, the laws made by its Legislative Council are still called Ordinances. This is true even after Hong Kong became part of the People's Republic of China in 1997.