Course Overview
The legislative process can be lengthy and complex. Former Permanent Secretary to the UK Cabinet Office, Richard Heaton, stated in a report about the legislative process: “Excessive complexity hinders economic activity, creating burdens for individuals, businesses and communities. It obstructs good government. It undermines the rule of law.”
It is crucial for public officials, parliamentarians and legislators to understand the full legislative process in order to achieve maximum efficiency in creating effective legislation.
This five-day training programme will share in-depth knowledge of the full legislative process and will highlight common areas where legislation can become increasingly complex and how to avoid them. Participants will share experiences and discuss good practices when initiating and developing legislation alongside top practitioners and trainers in the field.
Participants will also be able to implement the course's learning through practical drafting exercises. The course chair will evaluate these exercises and provide detailed feedback at the end of the week.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course the delegates will be able to:
- Share insight into the process of turning policy into legislation
- Better understand the principles of legislative drafting
- Utilise plain language and bring clarity to legislation
- Make laws more readable to those affected by them
- Amend outdated legislation
- Recognise common drafting mistakes and how to avoid them
How You Will Benefit
- The opportunity to gain a recognised professional qualification
- Hear the latest insights, research and developments in legislative drafting efforts from leading experts
- Network and share ideas with colleagues from around the world
- Enhance your skills and knowledge in the field of drafting legislation
Agenda
Day 1
Chair’s look ahead to the week
Delegates’ introductions, objectives and organisational challenges
Delegates’ introductions, objectives and organisational challenges
Origins of Law
Types of legislation
The Constitution
The Rule of Law
Types of legislation
The Constitution
The Rule of Law
The role of the draftsman
The key skills of the draftsman
Key drafting questions
Terminology
The key skills of the draftsman
Key drafting questions
Terminology
Sources of policy
How a bill becomes law
Stakeholders involved in the legislative process
How a bill becomes law
Stakeholders involved in the legislative process
The content and form of Drafting Instructions
Ethical questions and the legislative process
Stakeholders involved in the legislative process
Ethical questions and the legislative process
Stakeholders involved in the legislative process
Day 2
Starting points
Getting the message across
Clarity v accuracy
Getting the message across
Clarity v accuracy
Types of legislative tools
Technology and legislation
Linguistic Devices
Technology and legislation
Linguistic Devices
The value of short sentences
Subject - verb - object
Positive v negative / Active v passive
Verbs and nouns
Subject - verb - object
Positive v negative / Active v passive
Verbs and nouns
Are short sentences the answer?
Gender neutrality
Positive v negative / Active v passive
Gender neutrality
Positive v negative / Active v passive
Day 3
Gender neutral
Numbers and dates
Consistency
Numbers and dates
Consistency
Day 4
Building the basic structure of legislation
Types of structure
Types of structure
Day 5
Types of amendments
Turning Bills into legislative amendments
Constitutional amendment
Turning Bills into legislative amendments
Constitutional amendment
Structuring a written piece of work for assessment – Generic overview and principles
Structuring these two specific pieces of work to demonstrate all the assessment criteria
Structuring these two specific pieces of work to demonstrate all the assessment criteria
Course recap and discussion
Evaluation forms
Certificate presentation and group photograph
Evaluation forms
Certificate presentation and group photograph
Accredited by
