Canadian Legislative Drafting, Eh?
As co-chairs of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice (CIAJ) Legislative Drafting Conference 2024, we’re excited to tell you a little bit about our legislative drafting programming this year. The main event is our upcoming conference this September 16-18 in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada’s capital) and online. We’d love for you to join us! It’s a great way to dispel any myths you might have heard about Canada – it does not snow daily, Ottawa’s local dessert treat – the beavertail – does not involve harming beavers, and no, not everyone here loves hockey… some of us prefer legislative drafting!
This year’s conference will bring together drafters and other professionals involved in the preparation and publication of legislation – alongside academics and friends – to cover subjects ranging from AI and drafting to the scrutiny of delegated legislation, drafting careers, overseas drafting exchanges, inclusive and gender-neutral language, and even drafting software. The program will also include a tribute to the late Canadian drafting legend, Ruth Sullivan. Check out all the details and find the program here: https://ciaj-icaj.ca/en/upcoming-programs/2024-legislative-drafting-conference/
The Canadian drafting landscape is varied as our drafting jurisdictions have different official language requirements for legislation and the legal traditions present include common law, civil law, and Indigenous legal orders. Perspectives at the conference from across the country will reflect some of these unique facets of Canadian drafting. As a note, the conference will be in both of Canada’s federal official languages (English and French) with simultaneous interpretation provided.
In addition to the September conference, there will also be a Webinar on November 26th entitled “The (Dis)Connect between Legislative Drafting and Statutory Interpretation: Perspectives from Three Branches of Government” – it brings together a judge (who used to be a legislative drafter) with a government drafter and a parliamentary drafter. See the details here: https://ciaj-icaj.ca/en/upcoming-programs/webinar-disconnect-between-legislative-drafting-and-statutory-interpretation/ Tell your friends and loved ones – we hear it makes a great early holiday present! (Previous legislative drafting webinars can be found here: https://ciaj-icaj.ca/en/activities/upcoming-programs/?cn=legislative-drafting&ci=61)
In advance of our conference, we also recorded two podcast episodes featuring legislative drafters from across Canada. The English edition can be found here: https://ciaj-icaj.ca/en/podcasts/behind-the-provisions-a-window-into-legislative-drafting/ And the French edition may be found here
https://ciaj-icaj.ca/en/podcasts/derriere-les-lois-une-fenetre-sur-la-redaction-legislative/ To save time – and if you really want a challenge – try listening to the English in your left ear and the French in your right ear… or don’t do that – it’s a terrible idea! A much better idea: Joining the CIAJ mailing list to find out about our legislative drafting programming as it happens: ciaj@ciaj-icaj.ca
We hope to see you (in person or online soon) and until then, greetings from Canada!
-Charlie Feldman and Lerissa Thaver, CIAJ Legislative Drafting Conference 2024 Co-Chairs
(The views in this post do not reflect those of any employer).