The phrase law of the land (Latin lex terrae) is a legal term. It means all of the laws in force within a country or region.[1] The term was first used in Magna Carta. It was used to mean the laws of the kingdom.[2] This was distinct from Roman law or civil law.[2] In the United States, the Constitution declares it is the "supreme law of the land."[3] It is the same as due process of law as justified by the Constitution.[4]
- ↑ "law of the land". The Free Dictionary/Farlex. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Law of the land". Vocabulary.com. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
- ↑ "Law of the Land". NOLO. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
- ↑ Henry Campbell Black, A Law Dictionary Containing Definitions of the Terms and Phrases of American (Union, NJ: Lawbook Exchange, 1995), p. 702