Appraisal of Legislative Process and Drafting in Nigeria

Legislative drafting is a process by which policies and proposals are put in a legislative language called Bill which consequently becomes the Act of Parliament if it passes through all the stages of law making. The impact that a law has on societal development depends on the brilliance of the bill drafting as well as the process of making the bill to be law. A law that is a product of a poorly drafted Bill perhaps as a result of drafting it in a hurry, inadequate consultation with stakeholders, and insufficient examination by the appropriate law department, makes life difficult not only for the people but also for the government. In view of the importance of legislative drafting to socio-economic and political life of a people, this article will discuss the required skills for standard legislative drafting as well as the legislative process and procedures to be followed by the draftsman and make appropriate suggestions for excellent legislative drafting