Plain English Manual

Contents

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Background
What this Manual is about
Why draft simply?
Commonwealth precedents
What is plain English drafting?
HOW TO DRAFT SIMPLY 5
Skills, habits and determination
Techniques of simple drafting
GENERAL PRINCIPLES DRAFTING OR “FUZZY LAW”
Background
When to use this style
The drafter’s role

Chapter 2 - Planning the draft

WHAT THIS CHAPTER IS ABOUT
THE BENEFITS OF PLANNING
Better planning results in a better Bill
Avoid “band aid fixes”
Concentrate on substance instead of form
“Fine tune” terminology and ways to present information
Improve your understanding of your instructors’ goals
PRODUCING A GOOD PLAN
Identify the goals
Reduce the number and complexity of the concepts
Concentrate on the important principles
Make sure your instructors understand the plan
Record things that will not be included in the Bill
AIDS TO PLANNING
Introduction
Tables
Notes in normal text form
Diagrams
White board
CONSULTATION

Chapter 3 - Language: good writing habits

WHO ARE OUR READERS?
SENTENCES
Well constructed sentences
If ... then
Short sentences
Use definitions
WORDS
Short words
Acronyms
Jargon and technical terms

Chapter 4 - Language: traditional practices to avoid

WORDS AND PHRASES
Lists of traditional words and simpler equivalents
“And/or”: why not use it?
“Anything to the contrary contained in”
“Called in question”
“Cases”
“Contravene or fail to comply”
“He, she or it”, “who” and “that”
Ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, etc)
“Period”
Possessives
Pronouns (it, them, they, etc)
“Provisions of”
“Shall”, “must” and “is to”
“Subject to this Act” and “subject to this section”
“Where”, “if” and “when”
SENTENCE STRUCTURES
Age 65 limit on appointments
Back references in associated provisions
“Body, etc to which this section applies”
Classes
Duplicated adjectives
Duplicated nouns
Duplicated verbs
Participles and relative clauses
Proportions
Unnecessary repetition negatives
Unnecessary repetition noun phrases

Chapter 5 - Aids to understanding

STRUCTURE
Arranging the provisions
Grouped amendments
Specifying the topics
Avoid slabs of unbroken text
Limiting the number of subsections in a section                                                                                                                                                              
Subsection headings
Paragraphing
Tables
“And” or “or” at ends of paragraphs, etc
LAYOUT AND DOCUMENT DESIGN
CALCULATIONS AND PROCEDURES
User friendly algebraic formulae
Calculations in steps
Procedures in steps
DEFINITIONS
Where to put them
Sign posts
Identifying defined terms
Section headings: “Definitions” or “Interpretation”?
Definitions within the sentence
Referential definitions
READABILITY AIDS
Objects clauses
Road maps and summaries
Examples
Graphics
Notes
Section headings in question form
Readers’ guides
Alphabetical indexes

Appendix 1 - Examples of planning tables

Appendix 2 - Examples of planning diagrams

Diagram 1
Diagram 2
Diagram 3

Appendix 3 - Words and phrases