The role of Parliamentary Counsel in legislative drafting

Abstract

This article examines the role of the draftsperson in the legislative process. The services of a parliamentary counsel are utilized from the stage of making policy and drafting it in the form of legislative provisions. The main role of a parliamentary counsel is to give proper shape to the policies of the Government into legal provisions with adequate teeth for implementation. The legislative counsel should have sound knowledge of law and legal principles. The qualities of legislative drafters as well as the various stages of the drafting process are described, with particular reference to the position in India and Guyana. Ultimately, the task of a draftsperson is to help the country to have precise, readable and easily understandable laws useful to, and usable by, the public, to know and enforce their rights and privileges, perform their duties and be aware of their liabilities.

Notes

¹(4th edn LexisNexis, London 1996).