扒哥吃瓜

People sometimes assume that a legislative drafter鈥檚 job聽is聽simply to turn government policy into legal language.聽聽Finding聽the聽right聽words聽is聽important, but a bigger part聽of聽the聽job聽is聽subjecting聽the聽policy聽as communicated聽to us to a rigorous analysis, and working with departments to ensure that聽the聽provisions we develop achieve their policy aims in a coherent and effective way.聽聽The聽drafting process often throws up problems or policy questions that might not have been thought about before, and part of our job聽is聽to spot these and work through them with departments.

This fictional example shows how聽the聽start of聽the聽drafting process might work in practice.聽 It contains a short set of instructions and聽the聽drafter鈥檚 first attempt at producing a clause.聽 Also shown聽is聽the聽drafter鈥檚 covering note to聽the聽department, which includes a number of questions as well as commentary on why聽the聽drafter has made聽the聽choices they have.聽 Drafting聽is聽an iterative process, so in practice there would be one or two further exchanges (at least) before聽the聽clause聽is聽settled.