LED701

Introduction to Legislative Drafting

Law
700 level
3 credit units
99 pages
7 units

This course provides essential background material for legislative drafting. It explores the nature of the task, typical procedures, and responsibilities of Legislative Counsel. The course compares local arrangements in Nigeria with those described in the units. It also introduces relevant aspects of English language, including grammatical conventions for precise and unambiguous writing. The course aims to develop the ability to write grammatically and explain drafting practices.

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About this course

Difficulty: Intermediate
Study hours: 78 hours
Maths: None
Content: Theoretical, practical, case study
Practical work: Yes

How it is assessed

Assignments
Tutor marked assessments
Attachment
Final examination

What you'll read

The real module and unit structure of LED701, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.

Module 1

Module 2

One paragraph, so you can see how it reads

LED701 · UNIT 2: WRITING LEGISLATION

Most of the Commonwealth including Nigeria has inherited the British practice of separating legislative drafting from policy-making. Policy is for the Ministry responsible for the subject area. Drafting is treated as a distinct legal activity, to be carried out, typically, by a cadre of specialist legal officers assigned primarily or exclusively to this work.

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What you should be able to do

Describe legislative drafting in the Commonwealth tradition.
Explain the duties and responsibilities of Legislative Counsel.
Present the rationale behind the form of legislative drafts.
Apply grammatical rules to legislative writing.
Explain the importance and organization of a drafting office.

What it prepares you for

Careers

Legislative Counsel
Legal Drafter
Parliamentary Advisor
Policy Analyst
Legal Consultant

Where it is applied

Government
Law Firms
Legislative Bodies
Regulatory Agencies
International Organizations

Where it gets hard

The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.

Module 1:
Unit 3: Types of Legislative Instruments
Requires understanding of the nuances between different types of legal instruments and their specific applications in various legal contexts.
Module 1:
Unit 4: Classification of Statutes
Demands a comprehensive grasp of the conventional structure of bills and the appropriate technical terms to describe their characteristic features.
Module 2:
Unit 3: Importance of Grammar
Requires a solid understanding of grammatical principles and their application to legislative writing, including syntax, parts of speech, and sentence structure.

A suggested way through it

Suggested

13 weeks, about 75 hours in total. Yours will differ.

Week 1Module 1:
- Unit 1: Drafting and Drafters · 3 hours
  Read Unit 1: Understand the roles and responsibilities of legislative drafters.. Analyze the importance of legislative drafting in the modern state.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to test your understanding of drafting concepts..
Week 2Module 1:
- Unit 2: Writing Legislation · 3 hours
  Read Unit 2: Writing Legislation.. Examine the factors that influence legislative expression.. Compare legislative expression with everyday communication.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 2 to reinforce understanding of legislative requirements..
- Unit 3: Types of Legislative Instruments · 3 hours
  Read Unit 3: Types of Legislative Instruments.. Identify the bodies that have the power to make primary legislation.. Differentiate between primary and subsidiary legislation.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to test knowledge of legislative bodies..
Week 3Module 1:
- Unit 4: Classification of Statutes · 6 hours
  Read Unit 4: Classification of Statutes.. Describe the features of primary legislation.. Understand the conventions relating to the structure of Bills.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 2 to familiarize yourself with the Second-Hand Dealers Act 1992..
Week 4Module 2:
- Unit 1: History and Development of Legislative Drafting · 6 hours
  Read Unit 1: History and Development of Legislative Drafting.. Describe the development of legislative drafting in the Commonwealth.. Understand the influence of historical developments on current drafting practices..
Week 5Module 2:
- Unit 2: The Principal Characteristics of Commonwealth Drafting · 6 hours
  Read Unit 2: The Principal Characteristics of Commonwealth Drafting.. Provide an overview of the principal characteristics of legislative drafting in Nigeria.. Establish the principal objectives for which drafters should work.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to identify user expectations of legal documents..
Week 6Module 2:
- Unit 3: Importance of Grammar · 6 hours
  Read Unit 3: Importance of Grammar.. Explain the basic terms used to describe the features of grammar.. Avoid common errors of grammar.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to test your knowledge of grammatical terms..
Week 7Module 2:
- Unit 4: Drafting Office · 6 hours
  Read Unit 4: Drafting Office.. Understand the requirements of a drafting office.. Learn how to organize a drafting office.. Explore the importance of a drafting office in lawmaking..
Week 8Module 1:
- Revision of Module 1 · 6 hours
  Review Module 1 Units 1-4: Drafting and Drafters, Writing Legislation, Types of Legislative Instruments, Classification of Statutes.. Focus on key concepts and definitions.. Prepare for Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs)..
Week 9Module 2:
- Revision of Module 2 · 6 hours
  Review Module 2 Units 1-4: History and Development of Legislative Drafting, The Principal Characteristics of Commonwealth Drafting, Importance of Grammar, Drafting Office.. Focus on key concepts and definitions.. Prepare for Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs)..
Week 10Module 1:
- TMA 1: Drafting and Drafters, Writing Legislation · 6 hours
  Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 1: Drafting and Drafters, Writing Legislation.. Submit TMA 1 for assessment..
Week 11Module 1:
- TMA 2: Types of Legislative Instruments, Classification of Statutes · 6 hours
  Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 2: Types of Legislative Instruments, Classification of Statutes.. Submit TMA 2 for assessment..
Week 12Module 2:
- TMA 3: History and Development of Legislative Drafting, The Principal Characteristics of Commonwealth Drafting, Importance of Grammar, Drafting Office · 6 hours
  Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 3: History and Development of Legislative Drafting, The Principal Characteristics of Commonwealth Drafting, Importance of Grammar, Drafting Office.. Submit TMA 3 for assessment..
Week 13Modules 1 & 2
- Final Revision · 6 hours
  Comprehensive review of all course materials.. Focus on areas of weakness.. Practice with self-assessment exercises.. Prepare for final examination..

Preparing for the exam

What to do

Create concept maps linking Units 3-5 legislative instruments.
Practice grammatical exercises from Unit 7 weekly.
Review case studies in Units 1-2, focusing on application of drafting principles.
Allocate time for each section of the exam based on its weight.
Prioritize understanding key definitions from Unit 4 classification of statutes.

Questions students ask about this course

What is LED701 about?

How many units does LED701 have?

LED701, Introduction to Legislative Drafting, has 7 units across 2 modules, over 99 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.

How many credit units is LED701?

LED701 carries 3 credit units, at 700 level in Law.

Is LED701 hard?

LED701 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical, practical and case study work, and it has a practical component.

How long does LED701 take to study?

About 78 hours of study, spread across its 7 units.

How is LED701 assessed?

LED701 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments, attachment and final examination.

What can I do with LED701?

Legislative Counsel, Legal Drafter, Parliamentary Advisor, Policy Analyst and Legal Consultant.