sovereign authority The person (or body) to whose directions the law attributes legal force, the person in whom resides as to right the ultimate power either of laying down general rules or of issuing isolated rules or commands whose authority is that of the law itself: Bryce. sovereignty 1. Political and legal concept relating to ultimate authority in a state. 2. Freedom of a state from external control. special case Procedure (now commonly called trial of a preliminary issue ) whereby parties to an action, after the issue of a summons, agree on a statement of facts for submission to the court for an opinion on the law relating to those facts.