It's probably best to think about the situation using a city-state analogy along these lines:
The worldwide community of mortal magic users (including wizards, minor practicioners, and even sorcerors) is like a ancient city-state.
The White Council (ie, the inner Council) is the ruling oligarchy of the city-state.
The Wardens are the city's militia/police.
Other competing/hostile factions (Red Court, Denarians, etc) are other neighboring city-states.
The rulers (White Council) makes laws that all of the residents of the city (mortal practicioners) are expected to follow lest the militia (Wardens) be forced to step in and keep the peace (kill the offenders). Said residents may or may not agree with the laws, or with the rulers' authority to make them. This matters not in the slightest to the rulers, and they continue making laws and enforcing them through the miltia regardless. Those who disobey are declared criminals (Warlocks, aka Warden-bait). Crimes commited by residents of the city are dealt with.
The most powerful members of the city (Wizards) are granted full citizenship and are invited to attend city council meetings (meetings of the White Council), where their voice can be heard ... and possibly even listened to, with some luck. This participation is optional and considered something of a perk, as opposed to the required obediance to the laws. The common rabble (minor practitioners and other non-Wizards) are serfs/slaves/freemen and are not considered 'citizens', are not generally invited to attend, but (as mentioned before) must obey the laws regardless.
Occasionally, the city's residents might suffer at the hands of members of other (possibly hostile) neighboring city-states (other supernatural factions) -- either in isolated attacks or sabatage or through outright war. In such cases, the rulers and militia protect the city-state by means they deem fitting. In the case of 'rogue' elements from otherwise 'friendly' neighboring city-states (Accord members), they might negotiate a settlement. In the case of outright war, the citizenry (Wizards) are expected to join the militia whether the want to or not, and whether they attended the meetings or not.
I think that kind of covers the situation. The key bits are that if you are a Wizard-class practitioner, you ARE a member of the White Council and subject to its laws, whether you like it or not, and if you are a non-Wizard mortal magic-user, you ARE subject to laws without a say. You can try to avoid the political BS all you want, but if you break the rules, the Wardens might well take an interest in you, and ignorance is not a viable excuse.