Lok Sabha Speaker Calls for Clear, Precise Legislative Drafting to Reduce Judicial Intervention
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurates a two-day training programme on legislative drafting at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA), organized by the Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies (ICPS) in collaboration with the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, in Chandigarh, on Friday.
Chandigarh, September 26: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday underlined the paramount importance of legislative drafting in strengthening democracy, stressing that any ambiguity or ‘grey area’ in drafting increases the scope for judicial intervention. He said drafting must be clear, simple, and precise so that even a common citizen can easily understand the law and his rights.
Inaugurating a two-day training programme on legislative drafting at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA), organized by the Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies (ICPS) in collaboration with the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Birla said: “Legislative drafting is not merely a technical task, but the very soul of democracy. Better drafting leads to more effective, error-free, and just laws.”
He emphasized that agreement and disagreement are the strengths of democracy, but when drafting is strong, differences remain confined to ideology and not the language of the law. He added that meaningful debate is possible only when the language of laws is precise and transparent, reinforcing people’s trust in legislatures.
Birla also drew attention to the need for accuracy even in punctuation—commas, full stops, and semicolons—saying they are as important as the choice of words in ensuring clarity. He reiterated that the purpose of every law must be to ensure accountability of the executive and provide speedy justice to citizens.
The Speaker highlighted that India’s Constitution, with its clear separation of powers between the legislature, executive, and judiciary, continues to guide the law-making process. He urged legislative bodies to draft laws that are welfare-oriented, uphold constitutional values, and reflect people’s aspirations.
The training programme, attended by nearly 400 officials and staff of the Haryana Legislative Assembly and government, is part of the National Legislative Drafting Programme launched in 2023 by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Similar programmes have been held in Gandhinagar, Lucknow, Shimla, Ranchi, Jabalpur, and Patna.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini, Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Harvindra Kalyan, Karnataka Assembly Speaker UT Khader Fareed, Haryana Deputy Speaker Krishan Lal Middha, and Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh were present at the inaugural session. The two-day programme will conclude on September 27 with participants sharing experiences and key takeaways.
