New Jersey Law

New Jersey residents are subject to New Jersey state and U.S. federal laws. Federal laws apply in New Jersey as they do across all 50 states. In addition to the U.S. Constitution, which is the supreme law of the U.S., federal laws include statutes that are periodically codified in the U.S. Code. Federal laws also include decisions by courts that interpret federal laws. Finally, federal laws include regulations issued by federal administrative agencies to implement federal laws. You can explore federal laws and related resources by visiting the federal law section of the Justia site.

The state of New Jersey also has its own state laws. New Jersey state laws include the New Jersey Constitution, laws passed by the New Jersey legislature and periodically codified in the New Jersey Revised Statutes, and decisions by courts that interpret New Jersey laws.

The current version of the New Jersey Constitution dates from 1947 and provides strong protections against discrimination. It also consolidated the authority of the Governor, who received control over all executive agencies in the state. The unique features of the Constitution include rules related to casinos. Unlike most states, New Jersey provides only one method for amending the Constitution. This involves legislative referral under Article IX. An amendment proposed in the legislature will appear on a ballot if 60 percent of the legislature votes in its favor in one session, or if a majority votes in its favor in two separate sessions. An amendment cannot reappear on a ballot for a set time after it fails.

The New Jersey Revised Statutes contain the laws passed by the New Jersey legislature. These laws and the provisions of the New Jersey Constitution are often interpreted by the New Jersey Supreme Court and by the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, which is the intermediate appellate court in the state. The federal New Jersey District Court also issues decisions that may affect New Jersey residents. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals holds the authority to review decisions by the New Jersey District Court. Sometimes the U.S. Supreme Court may review a case that has been appealed from the Third Circuit or from the New Jersey Supreme Court.