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Survey of users of legislation

Covering letter by First Parliamentary Counsel

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37k

Results of 2010 survey

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1.0M

Questions for 2010 survey

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276k

 

Conference papers by OPC staff
The Australian approach in the new drafting environment
This paper was presented by Hilary Penfold QC (then First Parliamentary Counsel) to the CIAJ/ICAJ Conference in Ottawa, Canada in September 2002.
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262k
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248k

When words aren’t enough: Graphics and other innovations in legislative drafting
This paper was presented by Hilary Penfold QC (then First Parliamentary Counsel) to the Language and the Law Conference in Austin, Texas in December 2001.

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181k
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227k
The genesis of laws
This paper was presented by Hilary Penfold (then First Parliamentary Counsel) to "Courts in a Representative Democracy", a national conference hosted by the AIJA, the LCA and the CCF, in Canberra, Australa in November 1994.
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89k
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97k
Rewriting legislation - Australian Federal Experience
This paper was presented by Vince Robinson (First Assistant Parliamentary Counsel) to a conference in Ottawa, Canada in March 2001.
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478k
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356k
Clear Legislative Drafting: New Approaches In Australia
This paper by Ian Turnbull QC (then First Parliamentary Counsel) was published in the Statute Law Review, Volume 11, No. 3, Winter 1990.
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125k
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176k
Plain language drafting and drafting in general principles
This is a paper by Ian Turnbull QC (then First Parliamentary Counsel) in April 1993.
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89k
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87k

 

Other documents related to plain language
OPC's Drafting Services - A Guide for Clients
This guide provides information to clients of OPC about working with OPC on legislative projects.
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735k
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2.7m
Plain English Manual Download PDF version
758k
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1.3mb

Drafting Directions
Drafting Directions are instructions that are issued by First Parliamentary Counsel. They cover a wide range of topics related to drafting and have been organised into a subject-based series. All drafters are required to comply with the directions. The complete set of Drafting Directions are available under Drafting Directions Series.

Building the new tax law
This document was produced in April 1995 by the Tax Law Improvement Program that was established to rewrite Australia’s tax laws. The document describes the approach that was to be taken to rewriting those laws.
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129k
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170k
Organising the law
This document was produced in June 1995 by the Corporations Law Simplification Program task force that was established to rewrite Australia’s corporations law. The document describes the approach that was to be taken to structuring the rewritten laws.
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62k
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173k
Designing the law
This document was produced in June 1995 by the Corporations Law Simplification Program task force that was established to rewrite Australia’s corporations law. The document describes a suggested approach to the format of the rewritten law. Many of the ideas from this paper were incorporated in OPC’s new style for legislation that was adopted in 1996.
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20k
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46k
Extracts from OPC Annual Reports
These extracts from the OPC Annual Reports for 1996-97 and 1998-99 discuss recent developments related to drafting style and contain references to good examples of particular plain language approaches.
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36k
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58k
 
 


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