LDC-E5305 — Authorizing power not in force

What it means

A power authorizes issuance only while it applies: the parent act must have an applicable edition on the adoption date of the subordinate act. When no parent edition applies at that moment — the parent was not yet adopted, was already repealed, or the pinned editions skip the date — the power was not in force, and issuance under it is ultra vires. The checker stops at the adoption date and names the power that failed to cover it.

Adopt under a power that applies at the adoption moment, or pin the parent edition that was applicable then.

Example

run

{"argv": ["check-delegation", "$ROOT/sub.json", "$ROOT/parent.json", "--organ", "urn:org:fixture:ministry-health"], "files": {"sub.json": "{\"nodes\": [{\"kind\": \"source_work\", \"id\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:sub#ORDER\", \"package\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:sub\", \"sourceKind\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:sub#order\", \"regulates\": [\"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#ProcurementProcedure\"], \"basis\": [\"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#ApproveProcurementRules\"]}, {\"kind\": \"source_edition\", \"id\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:sub#ORDER_ED\", \"work\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:sub#ORDER\", \"package\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:sub\", \"lifecycle\": [{\"status\": \"adopted\", \"extent\": \"2030-05-01\"}, {\"status\": \"in_force\", \"extent\": \"2030-06-01\"}]}]}", "parent.json": "{\"nodes\": [{\"kind\": \"source_work\", \"id\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#LAW\", \"package\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent\", \"sourceKind\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#law\"}, {\"kind\": \"source_edition\", \"id\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#LAW_ED\", \"work\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#LAW\", \"package\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent\", \"lifecycle\": [{\"status\": \"in_force\", \"extent\": \"2020-01-01\"}, {\"status\": \"repealed\", \"extent\": \"2027-01-01\"}]}, {\"kind\": \"norm_template\", \"id\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#ApproveProcurementRules\", \"package\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent\", \"modality\": \"power\", \"payload\": {\"kind\": \"power\", \"holder\": {\"kind\": \"entity_ref\", \"id\": \"urn:org:fixture:ministry-health\"}, \"exercise\": {\"kind\": \"call\", \"function\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#approve_rules\", \"args\": [{\"kind\": \"entity_ref\", \"id\": \"urn:org:fixture:ministry-health\"}]}, \"effect\": {\"kind\": \"create\", \"after\": {\"kind\": \"literal\", \"polarity\": \"positive\", \"predicate\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#rules_in_force\", \"args\": []}}, \"subject\": [\"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#ProcurementProcedure\"]}}]}"}, "expect": "LDC-E5305"}

Fix

run

{"argv": ["check-delegation", "$ROOT/sub.json", "$ROOT/parent.json", "--organ", "urn:org:fixture:ministry-health"], "files": {"sub.json": "{\"nodes\": [{\"kind\": \"source_work\", \"id\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:sub#ORDER\", \"package\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:sub\", \"sourceKind\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:sub#order\", \"regulates\": [\"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#ProcurementProcedure\"], \"basis\": [\"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#ApproveProcurementRules\"]}, {\"kind\": \"source_edition\", \"id\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:sub#ORDER_ED\", \"work\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:sub#ORDER\", \"package\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:sub\", \"lifecycle\": [{\"status\": \"adopted\", \"extent\": \"2026-05-01\"}, {\"status\": \"in_force\", \"extent\": \"2026-06-01\"}]}]}", "parent.json": "{\"nodes\": [{\"kind\": \"source_work\", \"id\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#LAW\", \"package\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent\", \"sourceKind\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#law\"}, {\"kind\": \"source_edition\", \"id\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#LAW_ED\", \"work\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#LAW\", \"package\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent\", \"lifecycle\": [{\"status\": \"in_force\", \"extent\": \"2020-01-01\"}, {\"status\": \"repealed\", \"extent\": \"2027-01-01\"}]}, {\"kind\": \"norm_template\", \"id\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#ApproveProcurementRules\", \"package\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent\", \"modality\": \"power\", \"payload\": {\"kind\": \"power\", \"holder\": {\"kind\": \"entity_ref\", \"id\": \"urn:org:fixture:ministry-health\"}, \"exercise\": {\"kind\": \"call\", \"function\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#approve_rules\", \"args\": [{\"kind\": \"entity_ref\", \"id\": \"urn:org:fixture:ministry-health\"}]}, \"effect\": {\"kind\": \"create\", \"after\": {\"kind\": \"literal\", \"polarity\": \"positive\", \"predicate\": \"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#rules_in_force\", \"args\": []}}, \"subject\": [\"urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#ProcurementProcedure\"]}}]}"}, "expect": null}

Engine message

The chain checker reports this in its own wording:

Output

LDC-E5305: act urn:law:fixture:delegation:sub#ORDER: on adoption date 2030-05-01 no edition of parent urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#LAW applies (statuses §31) — power urn:law:fixture:delegation:parent#ApproveProcurementRules was not in force, issuance ultra vires

Related

• LDC-E5302 — the neighbouring delegation refusal.