On 06 May 2015, Mohsin Abbas Syed [Director (Legislation & Parliamentary Affairs), Department of Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of the Punjab] gave a talk on legislative drafting in Pakistan. The participants comprised of law students, lawyers, and law professors.
The speaker began the talk by introducing the topic of and discussing its importance in Pakistan. This talk was an interactive one from the start and Mr. Abbas engaged the audience in a discussion by asking various questions. During the talk he emphasized the importance of using simple language whilst drafting. He also informed the students of the plain language movement being campaigned in various countries. The speaker pointed out the need for such a movement in Pakistan and stated that lawyers are trained to use complicated legal words, a trend which should now be changed. It was also stated that the audience has to be kept in mind during drafting and the focus should be on using straight-forward and clear language.
Towards the end of the talk, Mr. Abbas mentioned that there are very few legislative drafters in the government, something which needs to be addressed on an immediate basis. He also emphasized the importance of drafting skills and how the same should be a part of the legal curriculum in law schools across the country. This, he felt, would address the aforementioned problem as well.
In the end, Syed Imad-ud-Din Asad [LL.M. (Harvard); Advocate, High Court; Founding Director and Associate Professor, UMT School of Law and Policy] thanked Mr. Abbas for taking out time to share his views and expertise on the matter.
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