On January 16, 2013, Birzeit University Institute of Law ( IoL) celebrated the graduation of the first class of the Specialized Diploma Program in Legislative Drafting. The first of its kind in the Arab world, this diploma program is designed to build capacity and skills in the drafting of laws.

BZU Vice President for Community Outreach Samia Halileh told graduates that the “diploma program is a result of continued efforts undertaken by the Institute of Law’s Legislative Support Department (LSD) over many years to consolidate good legislative drafting techniques and tools in Palestine.” LSD has developed manuals in legislative drafting in partnership with official institutions.

 

 

Program Advisor Fawwaz Abu Zir, Assistant to Secretary General of the Council of Ministers for Legal Affairs in the Palestinian Authority, explained that the diploma program “is a fruit of the memorandum of understanding concluded between the Palestinian government and the institute at Birzeit University.” The memorandum establishes administrative and legal cooperation, with a view to supporting and developing the Legal Affairs Department at the Palestinian Council of Ministers, upgrading legislative expertise, and updating the existing Legislative Drafting Manual.

Abu Zir asserted that the diploma program “will not only improve targeted civil servants’ capacities and skills, but it will also reflect on official agencies, promoting the quality of legislative texts and creating a balance within the body of operative legislation.” He views the diploma program as part of the nationwide institution building process that recently culminated in granting Palestine the status of an observer state at the United Nations.

“The diploma program has targeted 12 legal practitioners from across Palestinian line ministries and non-ministerial bodies. Participants were selected in line with transparent, integral standards,” he explained. “Training will positively reflect on the professional performance of relevant bodies and contribute to institutionalizing the legislative drafting process,” he added.

Institute Director Jamil Salem noted that the idea of the diploma program arose from past LSD research projects that focused on various aspects of the legislative process, including the structure of legal texts. This activity disclosed formal and substantive flaws in the drafting of Palestinian legislation. Some regulations are inconsistent or entail infringements on provisions of the Palestinian Basic Law. Other items of legislation include a deficient legal structure. In particular, the diploma program is designed to provide capacity building for target groups in standardized legislative drafting, eventually promoting the quality of laws within the Palestinian legal system.

LSD Manager and Coordinator of the Diploma Program in Legislative Drafting Mahmoud Alawneh presented the phases of development and various courses offered by the program. These include good legislative drafting principles and skills, linguistic rules in legislative drafting, regulatory impact assessment, legal informatics, and public and legislative policymaking. The program also offers specialized courses on the legislative process.