The Legislative Process: A Handbook for Public Officials

People are generally aware that legislation is introduced through Bills that are sent to the legislature, usually by the executive, and then passed into law. Few, however, are familiar with the processes that precede the submission of a Bill to the legislature. In fact, what eventually comes to the legislature is the product of long, often laborious processes, which go on for weeks, months and even years. To ensure that the civil servants and others who may be involved in shaping proposals are able to candidly express their views on policies that are being developed and refined, the deliberations on the executive side of government traditionally take place in secrecy. Mainly for that reason, the processes are not well known to the general public and even to some activists who lobby for or against legislation. This book, written by a lawyer who has long experience participating in these processes, gives rare insight into how legislative proposals are conceived, developed and finally written into the law. It also contains easy-to- understand technical information that explains the significance of certain features of statutes. Further, it deals with other matters that follow after enactment including publication, entry into force, application and much more.

Simamba, Bilika H.

AuthorHouse

How Laws Are Written and Applied

The complexity of laws is always a controversial issue. Many argue that laws are unduly complex while others assert that the complexity is unavoidable and that so-called legal language has to remain because of hallowed linguistic tradition. As with most things, the answer lies somewhere in between. Laws cannot be made to be simpler than their subject matter. The best that a legislative drafter can do is to make a law as simple as possible. There are many books respectively on the drafting of laws and the interpretation of statutes. However, these books are bulky and meant only for lawyers or law students. This book is written by a person who, after decades of drafting laws and giving legal advice, found that officials who made legislative proposals and reviewed drafts prepared by him would greatly benefit from a book that gives, in one reasonably-sized volume, the most essential written-language skills and the most frequently encountered rules of statutory interpretation. Without these skills, it is difficult for such officials to meaningfully review drafts. Before going into these areas, he examines the pros and cons of the plain English movement and then applies a plain language approach to his content on how laws are written and should be written. In addition, there are many professionals in fields other than legislative drafting who are engaged to drafts laws. And yet knowledge of the subject matter of a proposed law does not make one fully competent to draft it. In order for such professionals to prepare respectable drafts, they need general legislative drafting skills. This volume contains the basic skills necessary for any professional in a substantive subject matter to be better able to write legislation in that area. It will also help any member of the public who has to pay for legal advice on certain simple matters which he could figure out for himself if only he knew some simple rules applied in the

How Laws are Written and Applied

The complexity of laws is always a controversial issue. Many argue that laws are unduly complex while others assert that the complexity is unavoidable and that so-called legal language has to remain because of hallowed linguistic tradition. As with most things, the answer lies somewhere in between. Laws cannot be made to be simpler than their subject matter. The best that a legislative drafter can do is to make a law as simple as possible. There are many books respectively on the drafting of laws and the interpretation of statutes. However, these books are bulky and meant only for lawyers or law students. This book is written by a person who, after decades of drafting laws and giving legal advice, found that officials who made legislative proposals and reviewed drafts prepared by him would greatly benefit from a book that gives, in one reasonably-sized volume, the most essential written-language skills and the most frequently encountered rules of statutory interpretation. Without these skills, it is difficult for such officials to meaningfully review drafts. Before going into these areas, he examines the pros and cons of the plain English movement and then applies a plain language approach to his content on how laws are written and should be written. In addition, there are many professionals in fields other than legislative drafting who are engaged to drafts laws. And yet knowledge of the subject matter of a proposed law does not make one fully competent to draft it. In order for such professionals to prepare respectable drafts, they need general legislative drafting skills. This volume contains the basic skills necessary for any professional in a substantive subject matter to be better able to write legislation in that area. It will also help any member of the public who has to pay for legal advice on certain simple matters which he could figure out for himself if only he knew some simple rules applied in the interpretation of statutes.

Simamba, B. H.

How To Make Effective Legislative Proposals: The Jamaican Legislative Process

Politics & Social Sciences

Politics & Government

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Simamba, Bilika H.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Simamba, Bilika H.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Simamba, Bilika H.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Legislative Process: A Handbook for Public Officials

The Legislative Process: A Handbook for Public Officials

How Laws are Written and Applied

How Laws Are Written and Applied

How To Make Effective Legislative Proposals: The Jamaican Legislative Process