Meaning of law under the Reorganisation Act

Section 2(f) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act gives “law” an inclusive meaning. It includes orders, rules, notifications and other instruments having force of law. The relevant inquiry is whether the instrument had force of law before the appointed day. A government notification can fall within that statutory expression. The Court read this definition with the Act’s territorial and adaptation provisions. The Act addressed transition after the creation of Telangana. Bifurcation did not automatically extinguish every pre-existing legal instrument. Continuity depends on the statute and any valid later amendment. (The Joint Director (Rayalaseema), Anti-Corruption Bureau, A.P. & Anr. v. Dayam Peda Ranga Rao | 2026 INSC 37)