The Office of Parliamentary Counsel is responsible for drafting and publishing the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia.
We draft Bills for introduction into the Parliament, and a wide range of subordinate legislation such as regulations and proclamations for Government agencies.
We also publish the authorised, up-to-date version of Commonwealth laws.
We also provide other services, including training in understanding the legislative process and in drafting legislative and other instruments.
OPC is the Commonwealth’s principal provider of legislative drafting and publishing services. Our services include:
We offer a range of training courses for staff of Australian government agencies, including courses that explain the legislative process and courses in how to draft legislative instruments in-house.
We have a wealth of information available to help agencies work with us in the legislative drafting process, including tips on providing drafting instructions and contact details if you need quick, informal advice about drafting issues.
We also have templates, drafting guides and other documents available for agencies who wish to draft legislative and other instruments in-house.
The Federal Register of Legislation is the authorised website for Commonwealth legislation and related documents. It contains the full text of all Commonwealth laws.
For Government agencies who require registration services please see the Registering instruments page for more information.
Information on the drafting program for legislative instruments made by the Governor-General
Find our list of client advisers and our Guide for Clients here
View careers available at the Office of Parliamentary Counsel
Access to our annual reports and other information about OPC