Coming into force (also called enforcement or enactment) refers to the date and process by which legislation, or part of legislation, comes to have legal force and effect. Note that this article includes some hyperlinked dates whose format is configurable in Special pages | Preferences. What you see may not be what the author intended. ... Legislation (or statutory law) is law which has been promulgated (or enacted) by a legislature or other governing body. ... This article is about law in society. ...

It is important to note that the process whereby a Bill becomes an Act is an entirely different process from that of bringing the Act into force. A Bill, even although pass by law makers, which does not amount to an Act cannot be of any force and effect. Look up bill in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up Act on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Act may refer to: in law, a written document that attests the legality of the transaction. ...

Of course it may be that a country's law determines that on being passed by the law makers, a Bill becomes an Act without further ado. However, more usually, the process whereby a Bill becomes an Act is well prescribed in general constitutional or administrative legislation. This process varies from country to country, and from political system to political system A political system is a social system of politics and government. ...

Typically, the process by which a Bill becomes an Act would include that the Bill be signed by the head of state, and that it be published in the Official Gazette, so that people know the law exists and generally releases it in the public domain. Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State of 16 countries including: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ... A gazette is a newspaper. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

Generally:

• In parliamentary systems, an Act typically comes into force when it receives Royal Assent by the head of state, such as a Governor General or monarch.
• In presidential systems, an Act may variously come into force either when signed by the President, or when signed and published, or on a date or dates determined by the head of state or a specified functionary in terms of the Act
• When it receives the requisite majority of votes or ratifications, such as an amendment (i.e. to the United States Constitution).

A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in U.S. English), is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... // The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of lawmaking by formally assenting to an Act of Parliament. ... A Governor-General (in Canada always, and frequently in India prior to the abolition of the last monarchy, Governor General) is most generally a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above ordinary governors [1]. The most common contemporary usage of the term is to refer to the... A monarch (see sovereignty) is a type of ruler or head of state. ... A presidential system, or a congressional system, is a system of government of a republic where the executive branch is elected separately from the legislative. ... John Hancocks signature is one of the most prominent on the United States Declaration of Independence. ... Most of this article is about heads of state. ... An amendment is a change to the constitution of a nation or a state. ... Page one of the original copy of the Constitution. ...

See also

• Legal security
• List of enacting formulae
• rule of law