Order No. 17, a law issued by the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq before the Iraqis regained sovereignty in June 2004, gave the companies immunity from Iraqi prosecution.

NPR: Iraq to Review Contract Security After Shootout

He pointed to a decree issued by the highest Sunni authority, Al-Azhar in Egypt, which he said forbade "any musical arrangement of a Koranic verse, in order to prevent any violation of Islam".

BBC: News | Middle East | Singer denounces blasphemy charge

No wonder, barely five years ago, that the city was on the verge of insolvency, rescued only by bonds issued by the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Co-operation Authority, a state agency set up to supervise the city's finances.

ECONOMIST: City life

Only 72 trekking permits are issued each day by the Ugandan Wildlife Authority, and each must be applied for through a registered safari operator.

BBC: Gorillas in the mix in Uganda

On appeal, Palmer asserts that that his notice of deficiency was issued by an agent who lacked authority to implement the Internal Revenue Code.

FORBES: Tax Protesters Rack Up Another "Victory"

The changes were issued by China's tax authority on Friday and took effect June 29, said Khoonming Ho, a partner in charge of tax for China and Hong Kong for KPMG.

WSJ: China Clarifies Tax Rules; Foreign Companies Benefit

Moreover, it is not uncommon for certificates to be issued by self-proclaimed experts or painting restorers who have no real authority or scholarship about the artist, and whose guarantees carry no real weight in the actual market.

FORBES: This Man Could Save You Millions - Or Help Discover Them.

Under the UN's Convention on the Law of the Sea, mining rights on the ocean floor are controlled by a little-known body, the International Seabed Authority, which since 2001 has issued 13 licences - with another six in prospect.

BBC: UK Seabed Resources joins deep-ocean mineral-mining rush