Mevzuat

Mevzuat refers to the body of legally binding normative acts that regulate rights, obligations, and the organization and powers of public authorities within a jurisdiction, most commonly in Turkey. It includes constitutional provisions, laws (kanunlar), decrees having the force of law (kanun hükmünde kararnameler) issued in special periods, regulations and by-laws (tüzükler, yönetmelikler), and various administrative decisions and circulars that have binding effect on public institutions and citizens. The constitution occupies the top position in the legal hierarchy, and all other acts must conform to it; laws generally prevail over implementing regulations, while regulations provide details for the application of laws.

Mevzuat is published and accessed primarily through official publications such as the Official Gazette (Resmi Gazete), where new or amended acts become legally effective. In practice, current texts and historic amendments are maintained in public information systems, including dedicated mevzuat portals that allow searching by subject, date, and instrument type. These systems help track changes, repeals, and codifications and serve as references for legal interpretation and administration.

Usage and significance: mevzuat is essential for legal research, regulatory compliance, and governance. Lawyers, judges, public administrators, and businesses consult the mevzuat to determine which rules apply, understand recent reforms, and assess transitional provisions. As a living corpus, mevzuat evolves through amendments, repeals, and new normative acts, reflecting changes in policy, society, and institutions. The term also denotes both the current applicable law and its historical record within the legal framework.