Three levels
| Level | What it does | Rate of change |
|---|---|---|
| Law | Framework, core duties, sanctions | Rare |
| Regulation | How the law is applied: procedure, periods, qualifications | Moderate |
| Communiqué | Figures, lists, formats, updated amounts | Frequent — can be annual |
What that means for tracking
The most frequently changing level is the bottom one, and it is the one most organisations miss. Administrative fines being revalued, or the workplace hazard class list changing, does not touch the text of the law — but it changes your duty and your cost directly.
Which level binds what
A regulation cannot go beyond the frame its law draws, nor a communiqué beyond its regulation. So in a dispute the reading order is fixed: the higher text first. “The regulation says so” is a sentence to re-examine if it produces a result contrary to the law.
Other texts
Guides, handbooks and question-and-answer pages are usually not binding; they show practice, they do not create duties. But “the guide says so” is not an easy defence at an inspection either: the binding text governs.
In the register
A register line should carry the level too. Then a question like “which communiqués changed this year” can be answered without reading the whole register.