Writing and Understanding Legislation

One of the key skills of an English lawyer is interpreting statutes. The more a prospective lawyer reflects upon the problems of drafting legislation; and learns from those who are regularly involved in interpretation - the better a lawyer they will become.

There are a number of books available, I have three to recommend. They are



This book is written by a former Parliamentary Counsel - one of the few individuals in Britain who write Government Bills. His experience and the examples he uses are an excellent aid to understanding how legislation is written.




Written by an academic - a very useful introduction to drafting






Well written book which takes examples from across the British Commonwealth, and helps the reader understand the problems and solutions in drafting.