In the future world civilization envisaged by the Baha'is, secular law would have to comply with the higher principles of Baha'i law and administration.

In the future world civilization envisaged by the Baha’is, secular law would have to comply with the higher principles of Baha’i law and administration. According to Shoghi Effendi, these are not ‘‘an idle imitation of any form of absolutistic ecclesiastical government, whether it be the Papacy, the Imamate or any other similar institution’’ because the right of legislation is conferred to elected representatives (Shoghi Effendi, 1991a: 153). However, nor are they to ‘‘be regarded as purely democratic in character inasmuch as the basic assumption which requires all democracies to depend fundamentally upon getting their mandate from the people is altogether lacking in this Dispensation’’ (Shoghi Effendi, 1991a: 153).

(Margit Warburg, Baha'i: A Religious Approach to Globalization, Social Compass 46(1), 1999, p 54)