Which of the following are primary authorities?

• A. Cases, constitutions, statutes, and administrative regulations
• B. Newspapers and blogs
• C. Private correspondence
• D. Treaties only

Answer: (A)

Primary authorities are binding legal sources produced by official bodies that create or interpret law. They include court decisions (cases), constitutions, statutes enacted by legislatures, and administrative regulations issued by agencies. These are the texts courts and agencies rely on to decide disputes and govern actions, so they have authoritative weight. By contrast, newspapers and blogs provide commentary or analysis and do not bind authorities, making them secondary sources. Private correspondence is not an authoritative source for law. Treaties are indeed primary authorities in the international sense, but saying “treaties only” is incomplete because other primary sources—such as cases, constitutions, statutes, and regulations—also bind domestic law. Therefore, the listed combination of cases, constitutions, statutes, and administrative regulations represents primary authorities.