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List of enacting clauses

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionSep 6, 2026
Entity authorityQ6618819 ↗
Source-derived summary

An enacting clause is a short phrase that introduces the main provisions of a law enacted by a legislature. It is also called enacting formula or enacting words. It usually declares the source from which the law claims to derive its authority.

In many countries, an enacting formula is not considered necessary and is simply omitted. When it is required, a common tactic by a bill's opponent is a motion to "strike the enacting clause", which would make the law unenforceable.

The simplest enacting clauses merely cite the legislature by which the law has been adopted; for example the enacting clause used in Australia since 1990 is "The Parliament of Australia enacts".

National legislatures

Albania

Parliament of Albania:

"THE PARLIAMENT OF ALBANIA DECIDED:"

Antigua and Barbuda

Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda:

"ENACTED by the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda as follows:"

Argentina

Congress of Argentina:

"The Senate and House of Deputies of the Argentine Nation, in Congress assembled, ... enact or approve with the force of law:"

Spanish: "El Senado y Cámara de Diputados de la Nación Argentina, reunidos en Congreso,... decretan o sancionan con fuerza de ley."

Australia

Parliament of Australia

Austria

National Council:

"The National Council has enacted:"

German: "Der Nationalrat hat beschlossen:"

Bangladesh

Jatiya Sangsad:

"WHEREAS it is expedient and necessary to make provisions for the [purpose of the enactment] THEREFORE, it is hereby enacted as follows :"

Barbados

Parliament of Barbados:

1969: "BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Assembly of Barbados and by the authority of the same as follows:-"

2020:

"ENACTED by the Parliament of Barbados as follows:"

For bills amending the constitution:

"ENACTED by the Parliament of Barbados in accordance with section 49 of

the Constitution as follows:"

The Bahamas

Parliament of The Bahamas:

"Enacted by the Parliament of The Bahamas."

Belgium

In Belgium the enacting formula appears in the Belgian official journal (Belgisch Staatsblad/Moniteur belge) when the law is promulgated and published, but is usually thereafter not included when the law is printed in compilations, or stored in internet databases, even official ones. The enacting clause is as follows.

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Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1990, 1969, 2020—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with List, enacting and clauses providing the first useful test.
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This entry incorporates text from “List of enacting clauses” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.