A primary authority is a term used in legal research to refer to statements of law that are binding upon the courts, government, and individuals. Primary authority is usually in the form of a document that establishes the law, and if no document exists, is a legal opinion of a court. The search for applicable primary authority is the most important part of the process of legal research. Examples of primary authority include the verbatim texts of: The term 'primary authority' is used to distinguish primary authority materials from texts considered to be secondary authority.