noun
formal source of law
A technical legal term referring to the authoritative forms or instruments through which law is expressed, such as statutes, regulations, and treaties, as opposed to the substantive content of the law.
憲法や法律は形式的法源にあたる。
The constitution and statutes are formal sources of law.
形式的法源と実質的法源の区別は法学の基礎である。
The distinction between formal and material sources of law is fundamental in jurisprudence.
Refers to the material or substantive sources of law, such as customs, principles, and social norms, as opposed to the formal instruments.
Compound of 形式的 (formal) + 法源 (source of law). The term is a direct calque from Western legal theory, likely from German 'formelle Rechtsquelle' or English 'formal source of law'.