Which of the following is a primary authority?

• A. Constitution
• B. Treatise
• C. Law Review Article
• D. Dictionary

Answer: (A)

Primary authority includes binding legal sources that actually establish rules. The Constitution is a primary authority because it is the foundational, supreme law that creates the structure of government and protects fundamental rights; its provisions constrain all other laws and official actions. Treatises, law review articles, and dictionaries are secondary authorities—they interpret, analyze, or define terms and concepts, but they do not themselves create binding legal rules.