Constitutions and laws precede the judiciary.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) The judiciary is subordinate to the constitution and the laws — judges derive their authority from written law and cannot act beyond what the constitution and statutes authorize.

Where this applies

• A judge who issues an order that contradicts a clear constitutional provision is overruled, because the constitution is superior to any judicial act.
• A court cannot declare a statute unconstitutional and then enforce it anyway — the constitution and laws come first, and the judiciary is subordinate to them.
• A legislature passes a law, and a judge who personally disagrees with it must still apply it, because written law precedes and controls the judiciary.