What is public law?

Public law is the branch of law that is responsible for regulating relations between citizens and the State, as well as between the different organs of public power.

It is based on two principles:

• Legality: the State acts according to the law
• Rule of law: the State has authority over the citizens, who are subject to its power.

Public law imposes mandatory rules that cannot be modified by the will of the parties.

Some branches of public law are constitutional law, administrative law, criminal law or public international law.

Related concepts

• Private Law
• Imperative norm
• Principle of autonomy of will
• Principle of legality