About CALC

CALC is the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel. CALC's object is to promote cooperation in matters of professional interest among people in the Commonwealth engaged in legislative drafting or in training people in legislative drafting. CALC has members in most parts of the Commonwealth.

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About CALC

CALC is the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel. CALC's object is to promote cooperation in matters of professional interest among people in the Commonwealth engaged in legislative drafting or in training people in legislative drafting. CALC has members in most parts of the Commonwealth.

Read more

About CALC

CALC is the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel. CALC's object is to promote cooperation in matters of professional interest among people in the Commonwealth engaged in legislative drafting or in training people in legislative drafting. CALC has members in most parts of the Commonwealth.

Read more

About CALC

CALC is the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel. CALC's object is to promote cooperation in matters of professional interest among people in the Commonwealth engaged in legislative drafting or in training people in legislative drafting. CALC has members in most parts of the Commonwealth.

Read more

About CALC

CALC is the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel. CALC's object is to promote cooperation in matters of professional interest among people in the Commonwealth engaged in legislative drafting or in training people in legislative drafting. CALC has members in most parts of the Commonwealth.

Read more

Her Majesty The Queen

The death of Her Majesty The Queen is a profoundly sad moment for the Commonwealth.

Her Majesty's life was one of extraordinary dedication and service and throughout her reign she enjoyed a long and enduring bond with people across the Commonwealth.

On behalf of CALC, I convey our sincere sorrow and deepest condolences to The King, The Queen Consort and all the Royal Family.

Andy Beattie, CALC President

Legislative responses to COVID-19

See the information table at this new page.

RSS feeds

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Meredith Leigh appointed new First Parliamentary Counsel

Congratulations to Meredith Leigh on her appointment as the new First Parliamentary Counsel, Australian Government Office of Parliamentary Counsel.

Honours for 2 exceptional legislative drafters 

CALC’s President, Geoff Lawn, says: “2 CALC members have been made a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath in this year’s UK Queen’s Birthday Honours. These are our very own Brenda King, our Immediate Past President, and Elizabeth Gardiner, First Parliamentary Counsel in the UK OPC. This is such wonderful and well-deserved recognition of their many years of service, and it is great to see the work of legislative drafters recognised in this way. I have congratulated Brenda and Elizabeth on behalf of CALC.”

Congratulations to Peter Quiggin on his appointment as a Queen's Counsel

CALC members congratulate Peter Quiggin PSM on his appointment as a Queen's Counsel.

Hon Christian Porter MP, Attorney General for Australia, made the appointment announcement on 15 October 2020.

Mr Quiggin PSM is First Parliamentary Counsel, Office of Parliamentary Counsel. He has served as Australia’s First Parliamentary Counsel since 2004. Mr Quiggin was awarded a Public Service Medal in the 2008 Australia Day Honours List for outstanding public service in delivering the government's legislative agenda at a time of significant legislative change and in a number of critical areas.

Peter has also served as CALC's President from 2011 to 2017. As CALC members appreciate, Peter also showed outstanding leadership and service in that role.

Above is a recent photo of Peter with the banner that celebrates OPC’s 50th anniversary.

Pacific Toolkit: From policy to legislation

Congratulations to the Pacific Islands Law Officers' Network (PILON) and Australian Attorney-General's Department on launching this Toolkit.

The Toolkit is available for download here.

Pacific Islands Law Officers' Network logo and Pacific Toolkit logo

Coming up


2025 Australasian PCC/CALC Regional Drafting Conference

**REGISTRATIONS & SPEAKER APPLICATIONS DUE NO LATER THAN FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2024**

Where: Beaumonde on the Point, Perth, Western Australia

When: 26 - 28 February 2025 

More info: Registration, venue and speak application information is available on the conference page.

 


2025 International Legislative Drafting Institute in New Orleans

The Public Law Center at Tulane Law School will host the 30th Anniversary of its International Legislative Drafting Institute in 2025.

When: 9 - 20 June 2025

Where: New Orleans

More info: Registration information is available on the conference page.

Latest Newsletter

Latest Loophole

Employment

For more information about employment opportunities and contract drafters, see the Employment page.

Position Closing Date Information for applicants
First Parliamentary Counsel, Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, London, United Kingdom 28 February 2024, 9.00 am GMT Job advertisement (includes links to further information and how to apply)
3 Assistant Parliamentary Counsel, Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, London, United Kingdom 7 January 2024, 11.55 pm GMT Job advertisement (includes links to further information and how to apply)
2 Principal Council Officers and 1 Senior Council Officer, Regulation Committee, Legislative Council, NSW Parliament, Australia 3 December 2023, 11.59 pm AEDT

Job description and application details for

RFQ - Consultant - Commonwealth Principles and Model Law on the Enforcement of Suppression Orders, Commonwealth Secretariat 24 November 2023, 17:00 GMT

Job description and application details

Note - date has been extended from 15 November to 24 November.

Experienced legislative drafters, either at Independent or Advanced level - Parliamentary Counsel Office, New Zealand 15 September 2023 Job description and application details
House Legal Counsel - House of Delegates, Palau National Congress, Palau 23 October 2023 (or until filled) Job description and application details
Legislative Counsel - Legislative Drafting Department, Cayman Islands 25 August 2023

Job description

Job ad (includes link to apply) - Important! Job ad will be posted on the careers website on 11 August 2023 so applications cannot be made before that date.

Legal Drafter - Solicitor General's Office, Fiji. The role will support in-line legislative drafting functions and on-the-job training methods to improve the drafting skills of staff within the Drafting Division. The role may also contribute to Continuing Legal Education activities for legal professionals. 2 July 2023, 5:00 pm local Suva time

Full details on the Tetra Tech website: Tetra Tech International Development (job reference number 500166)

Applications must be made through the Tetra Tech website above

Further enquiries: email HR@ausfijifacility.org and quote the job reference number 500166

Director General Parliamentary Counsel Team Leader (2 posts) - Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, London, United Kingdom 18 May 2023

Advert

Full description and how to apply

Legislative drafter to produce a model law on military justice - Commonwealth Secretariat 6 April 2023 (RFQ) Description and how to apply

Roles available at the Western Australian Parliamentary Counsel’s Office:

  • Senior Parliamentary Counsel
  • Senior Assistant / Assistant Parliamentary Counsel
New closing date: 13 March 2023 (6pm AWST)

Description and contact details - Senior Parliamentary Counsel

Description and contact details - Senior Assistant/Assistant Parliamentary Counsel

Legislative Drafter - Falkland Islands Government 5 March 2023 (midnight Falkland Islands time) Description and contact details
Senate Legal Counsel - Senate, Palau National Congress, Palau 17 February 2023 or until filled (applicants are encouraged to contact or submit applications even if the date has passed) Description and contact details
Deputy Chief Parliamentary Counsel - Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, Northern Territory, Australia 15 January 2023

Details and application link

Advert (Seek Australia)

Job description

Legislative Drafter - Legislative Drafting Office, Jersey 9 January 2023

Details and how to apply

Advert

Job description

Person specification

Legal Drafter – Specialist Advisor IV, Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, Belize 30 November 2022 Description and how to apply
Legal Draftsperson and Legislative Drafting Division Adviser, Solomon Islands 14 October 2022

Legal Draftsperson description (and how to apply)

Legislative Drafting Division Adviser description (and how to apply)

Senior Parliamentary Counsel, Parliamentary Counsel’s Office, Western Australia

11 August 2022

Apply online

Job description (334 KB)

Legislative Drafting Consultant - Commonwealth Model Legislative Provisions on Abuse of Positions of Trust 

23 June 2022 Terms of reference (107 KB)

Chief Legislative Drafter, Attorney-General's Chambers, Isle of Man 

26 June 2022

Website

Job description (94 KB)

Person specification (80 KB)

Senior Legislative Drafter, Attorney-General's Chambers, Isle of Man

23 June 2022

Website

Role description and person specification (140 KB)

CALC provides links to information about various courses and training in legislative drafting.

View training page

Services

CALC has a number of services that are provided for the benefit of members and legislative drafting offices.

These services include:

  • advertising drafting positions
  • the CALC online drafting advice service
  • the CALC office organisation advice service.

For more details, please see the CALC Services Page.

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Dear colleagues
Please see below from Alex Gordon, First Legislative Counsel, Office of the Legislative Counsel (OLC) in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
More details are available on the CALC website here:
___________________________________________

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Dear CALC members

Having spoken with many members across all regions it is clear that there is strong enthusiasm for a return of CALC in-person gatherings and so I am very pleased to announce that plans are now in place to hold a series of CALC events over the next 18 months.

These will begin next year with the following events:

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Dear CALC Members

The November 2022 edition of the CALC Newsletter is now available at https://calc.ngo/publications/newsletters (in PDF or Word).

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Dear Calc Members

The October 2022 edition of the CALC Loophole is now available at https://calc.ngo/publications/loopholes (in PDF or Word).

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Kind Regards,

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Publications catalogue

Find papers and articles published in the Newsletter or Loophole.

View Publications catalogue

Forum

The forum is only available for registered and logged in members.

Drafting manuals and other resources

CALC provides links to online drafting manuals and other resources.

View Drafting manuals and other resources page

Training

CALC provides links to information about various courses and training in legislative drafting.

View training page