Legal Speak Made Easy

“Ultra vires”

Ultra vires literally means “beyond the power” and is an important concept because if anyone (such as a company, director, government body, official or the like), acts beyond their powers, that action is invalid for the reason that they lacked the necessary legal authority to take it. You are most likely to come across the concept with companies or trusts acting outside their powers, or with ministers making regulations beyond the legal authority granted to them by an act of parliament. Such actions are not always held to be invalid, but as a rule, everyone must work within the powers granted to them.