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Conference papers by OPC staff
The Australian approach in the new drafting environment This is a paper presented by Hilary Penfold QC (then First Parliamentary Counsel) to the CIAJ/ICAJ Conference in Ottawa, Canada in September 2002.	262k	248k
When words aren’t enough: Graphics and other innovations in legislative drafting This is a paper presented by Hilary Penfold QC (then First Parliamentary Counsel) to the Language and the Law Conference in Austin, Texas in December 2001.	181k	227k
The genesis of laws This is a paper presented by Hilary Penfold (then First Parliamentary Counsel) to "Courts in a Representative Democracy", a national conference presented by the AIJA, the LCA and the CCF, Canberra, November 1994.	89k	97k
Rewriting legislation - Australian Federal Experience This is a paper presented by Vince Robinson (First Assistant Parliamentary Counsel) to a conference in Ottawa, Canada in March 2001.	478k	356k
Clear Legislative Drafting: New Approaches In Australia This is a paper by Ian Turnbull QC (then First Parliamentary Counsel) that was published in the Statute Law Review, Volume 11, No. 3, Winter 1990.	125k	176k
Plain language drafting and drafting in general principles This is a paper by Ian Turnbull QC (then First Parliamentary Counsel) in April 1993.	89k	87k

Other documents related to plain language
Extracts from Working with OPC - A Guide for Clients This guide provides information to clients of OPC about working with OPC on legislative projects. The extracts contain material on, and examples of, plain language drafting. The complete document is available under OPC Documents.	108k	121k
Plain English Manual	288k	449k
Drafting Directions DDs are instructions that are issued by First Parliamentary Counsel. They cover a wide range of topics related to drafting. All drafters are required to comply with the directions. The DDs have been reorganised into a subject-based series. The complete set of Drafting is available under Drafting Directions Series.
Building the new tax law This is a document 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.	129k	170k
Organising the law This is a document 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.	62k	173k
Designing the law This is a document 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.	20k	46k
Extracts from OPC Annual Reports This is extracts from the OPC Annual Reports for 1996-97 and 1998-99 that discuss recent developments related to drafting style and contain references to good examples of particular plain language approaches.	36k	58k