At the heart of the Federation, the fundamental principles and laws of the Federation are derived from three important documents: The Charter of the United Federation of Planets, the Constitution of the Federation, and the Starfleet Charter.

The Charter of the United Federation of Planets was ratified by the original members of the United Federation of Planets during its founding in 2161. Under its rules, caste-based discrimination is prohibited and caused several changes within the original members of the Federation. The Constitution incorporated a series of enumerated set of rights to which all sentient beings are regarded as being entitled, and collectively are referred to as being Guarantees. Both documents help govern the laws within the Federation and form the basis of the protections enjoyed by all Federation citizens. The Charter describes the requirements for entry into the Federation; while the Constitution describes the principles, governing structure, as well as the citizen rights once becoming a member.

The Starfleet Charter is the Federation's Judicial code, providing guidelines and regulations related to legal issues. The General Orders and Regulations are a series of guidelines utilized to instruct members of Starfleet on the proper etiquette and policy in a situation that requires its consultation for a resolution. The Federation Uniform Code of Justice was formed to provide the legal basis for Starfleet court martial proceedings.