Sir William Dale Centre is located on floor L1

LLM in Advanced Legislative Studies - Courses

Legislative Drafting I and II (Prof Helen Xanthaki)

These two modules are based on the professional Course in Legislative Drafting which was first offered by Sir William Dale in 1964. The aim of these two modules is to analyse and explore the distinct problems faced by professional drafters in the Common Law world and to propose and promote best practices in statutory drafting.

Each module course will be taught over 10 weeks, by 2-hours weekly seminars, covering the provisional list of topics set out below, and will be examined by one 3,500 word essay (maximum length) at set dates.

Topics include:

  • What is Legislative Drafting?
  • The role of legislative drafting in law reform
  • The constraints of legislative drafters in modern democracies
  • Drafting and the policy process
  • Ethics and legislative drafting
  • Quality in legislation
  • Drafting instructions
  • Statutory Interpretation and drafting
  • Developing a Legislative Plan
  • The Structure and Style of Statutes
  • Words and sentences
  • Modifiers, punctuation and other complications
  • Definitions and interpretation provisions
  • Schedules
  • Challenging legislation before the courts
  • The application and enforcement of legislation

Comparative Legislative Studies I and II (Dr Constantin Stefanou)

The aim of the two modules is to introduce students to the theoretical framework in which legislative drafting takes place at the national and international levels taking into account other relevant disciplines. As the name of the two modules suggests the comparative methodology is utilized almost exclusively in analysing the various topics.

Each module involves 10 weeks of teaching in 2-hour weekly lectures and seminars. Each module is examined by two 3,500 word essays (maximum length).

Topics include:

  • What is a Constitution, The process of Constitution-making
  • Policy making and legislative drafting
  • The Legislative process and the drafter
  • Federal, Unitary and Local Government
  • Legislative drafting and communication
  • Separation of Powers, the Legislative, Executive and independent Judiciary
  • Regulatory Impact Assessment and the Drafter
  • Administrative Law
  • Judicial review

Themes of Legislative Studies I and II (Guest Lecturers from the PCO, Government Departments, Drafters and Academics)

These two modules course will be common one for both Degree Directions. They will focus on current issues related to legislative studies thus providing students with the opportunity to apply the theory examined in the other courses to specific topics of current interest. The aim of the two modules is to expose students to the most recent theoretical and empirical developments taught by those who took part in the original process, thus offering students an insight into the intricacies of specific areas of legislation, such as criminal law drafting, or tax law drafting.

Each module will be taught over 10 weeks by 2-hours weekly lectures and seminars and by use of case-studies include those set out below. Each module will be examined by one 3,500 word essays (maximum length) at set dates.

Topics might vary from year to year but usually include:

  • Organizing a Drafting Office
  • Legislative Drafting ethics
  • Researching Legislative studies
  • Quality of legislation
  • Drafting for social change
  • Drafting tax law

EU Legislative Studies I and II (Prof Helen Xanthaki and Dr Constantin Stefanou)

These two modules course introduce students to law-making at the EU level and to the subsequent national law-making required for the implementation of EU legislation. The themes analysed include EU constitutional law, the legislative process, the structure and role of the EU law-making institutions, the interpretation and application of EU legislation, law reform in the EU, as well as their repercussions on the legislatures of the Member States.

Each module is taught over 10 weeks in weekly 2-hour lectures and seminars. Each module is examined by one 3,500 word essay (maximum length) at set dates.

Topics include:

  • . Introduction to the EU
  • . EU Constitutional law
  • . The Draft Convention for Europe
  • . The formation of EU policy
  • . The use of comparative research by the European Commission as a means of law reform: case-studies
  • . Negotiating and deliberating legislation
  • . The role of the Commission in the legislative process
  • . The role of the Council in the legislative process
  • . The role of the European Parliament in the legislative process
  • . Mechanisms of legislative drafting in the EU
  • . The influence of EU law on national legislatures
  • . The interpretation of European law by EU Courts
  • . The interpretation of European law by national courts
  • . The enforcement of European law at the EU level
  • . The enforcement of European law at national level
  • . Challenging European legislation before the courts

Jean Monnet Module "Legislating for EU Membership and Accession" (Dr Helen Xanthaki and Dr Constantin Stefanou)

Click here for the Jean Monnet Course webpage

Jean Monnet Module "Theories of European Integration" (Dr Constantin Stefanou)

Click here for the Jean Monnet Module webpage