The University of Guyana has introduced a Graduate Diploma/Master of Laws in Legislative Drafting programme, to be offered in the Department of Law at the Turkeyen Campus.
The course, which begins in September 2023, will last for one year for the Graduate Diplomat and two years for the Masters of Law; and it will be offered through a blended mode of delivery.
It is expected to cost $850,000 annually and spaces are limited, with just 25 seats available, according to information released by UG.
The graduate programme in Legislative Drafting is expressly designed to train participants in the skill/techniques/methods of interpreting and drafting legislation and regulations, through seminars, lectures, and hands-on workshops.
It intends to draw from the existing resources and leading practitioners in the field of legislative drafting available in the Caribbean Region.
Additionally, the LL.M degree aims to focus on Legislative Drafting in the first year and end with the completion of a thesis and six credits in upper-level relevant predetermined law courses/legal research seminars in the second year.
UG noted that in recent years, legislation has evolved to become one of the cornerstones of political, economic, and social transformation worldwide and the demand for legislative drafters has grown significantly.
“When the Commonwealth Law Ministers met in St. Vincent in November 2002, concern was raised about the high turnover of staff in legislative drafting. In the wake of such recognition, several countries and regions have introduced short legislative drafting courses to address the concern and growing needs. Yet as an academic discipline, it is relatively unexplored. Further, recent global and regional economic development and the emergence of new trading networks among nations have created a concomitant need for more sophisticated and technically proficient legislative research and drafting,” the University explained.
It noted too that with a focus on regional legislative drafting practice, this programme is tailored to suit the prevalent legislative drafting practice of each member country of CARICOM.
“Thus, for example, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills required for the approximation of the national legislation with the legislation of the Caribbean Community, which is one of the basic criteria for CARICOM membership.”
Legislative drafting encompasses the theoretical analysis and practical application of the whole process of legislating. The programme will examine issues related to the legislative process, constitutional law, the methods of drafting in a modern democratic context, legislative ethics, and law reform. It also aims to explore the concepts of harmonized legislation, and non-municipal law drafting.
More information on the programme can be found below:
UG Legislative Drafting Brochure (2023) (2)
