Legislative Drafting Manual

Avoid turning verbs into nouns (nominalization) 
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Many verbs have related nouns 
– you can decide or make a decision, complain or 
make a complaint, know or have knowledge of. A writing that uses verbs is briefer, 
clearer and more direct.
Conciseness

Omit needles language.

If a word has the same meaning as a phrase, use the word.

Use the shortest sentence that conveys the intended meaning.
Specificity
Except when political authorities require otherwise, drafters always should strive 
for a high degree of specificity. If legislations are drafted in terms which are wide 
and general this is likely to give rise to different interpretations and inevitable 
challenges.
Word Choice: General
The objective in legislative drafting is to make the final product as precise and 
understandable as possible. There are hundreds of expressions, legal and 
otherwise, that can be simplified. In general: 

never use a long word if a short one will do; 

if it is possible to omit a word and preserve the desired meaning, always 
omit it; and 

never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if there is an 
everyday English equivalent. 
Use vocabulary adapted to the reader
Drafters should adapt their vocabulary to their anticipated audience 
–and not only 
to judges and lawyers and follow the following rules: 

Do not „legalese‟
E.g. „such‟, „said‟, „herein above‟, „herein after‟ and the like.
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
Do not use arcane, obscure, uncommon, or foreign words. Use technical 
terms only where the context requires it. Do not use „bureaucratese‟ (e.g. 
acronyms)

avoid use 
of “mutatis mutandis”
Unwilling to repeat a set of instructions including the precise changes 
necessary make them fit a new case , a lazy drafter merely write that the 
already stated rues apply to new case mutatis mutandis.
A typical example is Art.6 of Property Mortgaged and pledged with 
proclamation No.97/1998 which makes 55 provisions of the Civil Procedure 
Code applicable to the new and peculiar subject matter. 
d. avoid use of a deeming provision. (--- deemed to be----)
A drafter can always reach the same result by using an inclusive word and 
defining the inclusive word in the body of the law. Alternatively, a drafter can 
state the matter directly.