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ADR-007: Rule Hierarchy & Priority

Context​

As the number of agentic rules and guidelines grows, potential overlaps and conflicts may arise. To maintain clarity and safety, we need a formal order of precedence.

Decision​

We establish a three-level hierarchy for all repository instructions:

  1. Level 1: Safety & Compliance (Primary)

    • Source: .agent/rules/base-rules.md.
    • Content: Critical safety constraints (No auto-commit, English only, Human oversight).
    • Priority: Absolute. Overrides all other instructions.

  2. Level 2: Strategic Decisions (Contextual)

    • Source: 00-Meta/04-ADR/.
    • Content: High-level architectural and governance choices (GitHub Flow, Identity Registry).
    • Priority: Strategic guidance for implementation plans.

  3. Level 3: Operational Procedures (Instructional)

    • Source: .agent/rules/*.md (excluding base-rules) and .agent/workflows/.
    • Content: Formatting, glossary usage, specific git steps.
    • Priority: Technical implementation details.

Consequences​

  • Positive: Eliminates ambiguity, ensures safety first, and allows for modular expansion of documentation standards.
  • Precedence: Any agent discovering a conflict must follow the highest-priority level and notify the human squad.