Citizen | Government | Non-Citizen | Business 
  Attorney General's Office
Home  
The Ministry  
History  
The Attorney General  
The Solicitor-General  
The Director of Public Prosecutions  
The Parliamentary Counsel  
List of Law Officers & State Attorneys  
List of Attorney Generals since 1967  
The Minister  
Legislations  
Legal Profession (Application Forms)  
Parliamentary Questions  
Public Services  
Other Services  
Resource Centre  
Documents & Articles  
Law Reform Commission  
Links  
Contact Us  
FAQs  
Archives  
Search  
 
Attorney General's Office and Ministry of Justice and Human Rights

The Parliamentary Counsel


The Parliamentary Counsel is mainly responsible for the drafting and vetting of legislation.  All Government Bills and Regulations are vetted the Parliamentary Counsel.

Once Government approves proposals for new legislation or amendments to existing legislation, the Parliamentary Counsel is then requested to prepare a Bill or regulations based on the drafting instructions of the particular Ministry concerned or to vet a Draft Bill or Regulations submitted by that Ministry .  It is worth noting that the Parliamentary Counsel does not make policy decisions but drafts legislation as per the instructions received, and also advises the Executive as to how its policy objectives can best be achieved within the ambit of what is legally sound and/or possible. When a draft Bill is finalised to the satisfaction of the parties concerned, it has to secure approval of Cabinet before being presented to Parliament.

The Parliamentary Counsel advises the National Assembly on law-making procedures and attends every sitting of Parliament when the Bill is being debated to ensure that all the procedures are complied with and to deal with any legal issue that may arise either in relation to the substance of the Bill or to the passing of it.

Further, the Parliamentary Counsel also assesses the legal implications of the ratification of Treaties and advises the Government on the international legal obligations that bind the State.

The Parliamentary Counsel plays a prominent role in upholding the Rule of Law in that he ensures that every piece of legislation operates within the bounds of the Constitution.

Back to Top

Last Updated: 22 December, 2008