NOMOS

find_authority

Read-onlyIdempotent

Find which published authorities on the NOMOS Exchange govern something you are about to do, from a plain description (e.g. "deploy a recruitment model in the EU"). No name needed. Returns the matching authorities ranked, and for each the facts it reads that match your description (what to pass to ask_authority as inputs) and its most relevant rules with where they come from in the source. Also returns authorities others have requested that are not listed yet. Matches by words and by meaning (a small multilingual model on the server, so questions in Arabic and other languages work); it only chooses what to ask, never a verdict. Call this before ask_authority when you do not know the authority's name.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "description": "<description>"
    },
    "name": "find_authority"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`limit`	No	Maximum authorities to return (default 10).
`description`	Yes	What you are about to do, in plain words.
`jurisdiction`	No	Optional jurisdiction tag to restrict to, e.g. "EU" or "AE".

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`next`	No
`places`	No	Jurisdictions the description names (e.g. AE for Dubai). An authority that covers none of them is not returned.
`search`	No	How the search ran: method "hybrid" (meaning and words) or "keyword", and the model used for meaning.
`matches`	No
`requested`	No	Requested, not yet listed.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed4 schema fields changedNov 7, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / matches / items / properties / matched_by

Added value: +{
+  "enum": [
+    "words",
+    "meaning",
+    "both"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / matches / items / properties / matched_terms / description

Added value: +"Words of the description that matched. Empty when it matched by meaning alone (e.g. a question in Arabic)."

addedOutput schema / properties / places

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Jurisdictions the description names (e.g. AE for Dubai). An authority that covers none of them is not returned.",
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / search

Added value: +{
+  "description": "How the search ran: method \"hybrid\" (meaning and words) or \"keyword\", and the model used for meaning.",
+  "type": "object"
+}

AddedNov 7, 2026

TDQS

A4.6/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Beyond the readOnly/idempotent annotations, it discloses concrete behavior: results are ranked, each authority carries the facts that match the description and its most relevant rules with source provenance, and unlisted-but-requested authorities are also returned. It also explains the matching mechanism (word plus semantic matching via a small multilingual server-side model) and notes Arabic and other languages work, which is non-obvious and actionable.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with the core purpose and a concrete example, then layers return shape and routing guidance in a logical order. It is dense with useful content but runs long and has some embedded parentheticals that slow scanning; nothing is truly wasted.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a discovery tool with three simple parameters and an output schema, it covers everything an agent needs: when to call it, what to supply, what comes back, and how the results feed the downstream ask_authority call.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so limit, description, and jurisdiction are already documented. The description reinforces that description is plain prose and that no authority name is required, and hints that matched facts are what to pass to ask_authority, but adds no format or syntax guidance beyond the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('find which published authorities on the NOMOS Exchange govern...') plus the input form ('from a plain description... No name needed'). It explicitly distinguishes itself from the sibling ask_authority, so an agent can route between the two without opening schemas.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives an explicit trigger and ordering rule: 'Call this before ask_authority when you do not know the authority's name.' It also bounds its own role ('it only chooses what to ask, never a verdict'), which tells the agent what not to expect from it.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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