Legislative Drafting Manual

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Legislative Drafting 
Manual of Ethiopia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice and Legal System Research Institute/Justice System Administration 
Reform Program 
Addis Ababa 
 
 
February 2008 
 
 
 
www.abyssinialaw.com

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Legislative Drafting Manual 
Chapter 1 
Introduction 
This manual, which is the first of its kind in Ethiopia, is designed to provide 
drafters with the necessary minimum standards, rules, techniques, styles, and 
procedures of drafting legislations.  
1. The Importance of this Manual
The following benefits are some of the main explanations necessitating the 
preparation of this Legislative Drafting Manual:- 

A well designed legislative drafting manual has the contribution of 
promoting uniformity in drafting style and ensuring the preparation of a 
law which is clear, simple, consistent, coherent and easy to understand 
and make use of. So that the ultimate beneficiaries of the law will find in 
a better position to understand and apply in terms of their rights and 
obligations.

A legislative drafting work guided by a manual will result in a well 
drafted law that will succeed in properly translating the relevant policy 
into implementable law that will likely induce desired social, political and 
economic transformation of the country.

Drafting guidelines in the form of manual has also the import of 
assisting drafters to avoid mistakes and to draft legislations faster and 
efficiently.

What is more, it is not uncommon that laws are frequently amended