Legislative Drafting Manual

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17 
ii. 
Citation by Reference:-This method of citation can be used in case 
of amending a law where the law to be amended contains a large 
number of citations. In such case, rather than citing specifically all 
provisions on which the law to be amended was based, the drafter 
can simply refer in 
general terms to “the provisions cited in the 
citation to the law to be amended.
Again, in this method, its use should be restricted only to the following instances:- 

The simplification must save the drafter from citing considerable number 
of provisions; and

It should not be used in case of laws that are to be referred also in turn 
refer to other laws.
d. When the law to be cited contains within one article a paragraph on the 
purpose of future measures to be taken and another paragraph giving 
power to act a law, then it is the latter paragraph only that should be cited.
e. Some guidelines for Citation of Legal Basis for Amendment(s) of a Law:
i. 
Normally, when the law is to be amended, then the same 
empowering provision cited in the initial law should be cited as a 
basis for the amendment.
ii. 
Under normal circumstances, the law that is to be amended will not 
be the legal basis for its amendment and thus should not be cited in 
the amending law.
iii. 
However, exceptionally, some laws contain a provision empowering 
the e
nacting institution to “revise‟, “amend”, or “adopt” certain rules, 
amounts, lists, technical provisions, etc…so as to accommodate 
some objective changes in the legal, economic situation, or in 
technical progress. In such cases, the legal basis for the revision, 
the amendment or for the adoption is the law to be revised itself and 
thus same should be cited in the citation part.
iv. 
When the law to be amended has more than one legal basis, then 
only the one specific to the provisions to be amended should be 
cited if the previous citation can be individualized.