Legal Definitions - general authority

Definition: General authority refers to the right or permission given to a person to act legally on behalf of another person. This includes the power to affect the legal relations of the other person by performing acts in accordance with their agreement.

For example, a principal may give a real estate agent the authority to sign a contract on their behalf. This is an example of actual authority, which is authority intentionally given by the principal to the agent.

Another type of authority is apparent authority, which is authority that a third party reasonably believes an agent has, based on their dealings with the principal, even though the principal did not confer or intend to confer the authority. For example, if a principal allows an employee to act as a manager and make decisions on their behalf, the employee may have apparent authority to make those decisions even if they do not have actual authority.

General authority can also refer to the power or jurisdiction of a governmental agency or corporation that administers a public enterprise, such as a transit authority.

Legal writings, such as judicial or administrative decisions, statutes, and ordinances, can also be considered authority. These writings can be used as precedent in legal arguments.

Examples:

• An employee has actual authority to make decisions on behalf of their employer because the employer intentionally gave them that power.
• A real estate agent has apparent authority to sign a contract on behalf of their client because the client allowed them to act as their agent.
• A transit authority has general authority to administer public transportation in a particular area.
• A court decision can be used as authority in a legal argument.

These examples illustrate the different types of authority and how they can be used in various contexts.