Source: http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/updates/a_birds_eye_view.asp
Timestamp: 2018-06-24 15:06:26
Document Index: 764517343

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 19', 'art 19', 'art 19', 'art 19', 'art 19', 'art 19']

ACT Legislation Register - Information - Legislation Act 2001: a bird's eye view
Home > Information > Legislation Act 2001: a bird's eye view
It is a basic principle of our legal system that people are presumed to know the law. This important presumption depends on the law being readily available to people, particularly the authorised text of the law currently in force. Chapter 2 of the Act therefore provides for an authorised, electronic statute book (the ACT legislation register), published on the Internet to provide free public access to authorised versions of ACT legislation and other legislative material. Under the Act, access is not only free, convenient and comprehensive, but also backed by statutory presumptions to support its authoritative status. (See chapter 3.)
But access is not just about having the text of the law. The text should also be easy to read, find and use. The ACT statute book has been created over some 90 years from various sources. Drafting practices, language usage, and printing formats and styles have changed over the years. Maintaining a minimum level of consistency in presentation and cohesion between legislation coming from different sources and enacted at different times can assist improved access to the law. The provisions of chapter 11 for republishing the law also provide for editorial changes to be made when laws are prepared for republication. The editorial changes are designed to provide consistency across the ACT statute book in format, layout and printing style as well as a standard approach in, for example, the use of spelling, punctuation, numbering systems and provision references.
The Act contains the provisions about the �life cycle� of ACT legislation. In the case of Acts, for example, this refers to the processes of numbering and notifying (chapter 4), commencement (chapter 8), amendment and repeal (chapter 9). For regulations and certain kinds of instruments, the relevant processes are the preparation of a regulatory impact statement (chapter 5), making, notification and numbering (chapter 6), presentation and disallowance (chapter 7), commencement (chapter 8) and amendment and repeal (chapter 9). Related topics include the exercise of powers before a law has commenced (section 81).
The Act includes, in an updated form, most of the provisions of the Interpretation Act 1967 (that Act has now been repealed). Chapter 14 provides for purposive interpretation and use of extrinsic materials. Chapter 15 provides various aids to interpretation and should be read in conjunction with the dictionary at the end of the Act. The remainder of the Act deals mainly with other provisions commonly required in legislation. This includes general provisions about courts and other decision-makers (chapter 16), entities and positions (chapter 17), offences (chapter 18), functions (part 19.2), appointments and acting appointments (part 19.3), delegations (part 19.4), service of documents (part 19.5), functions of the Executive and Ministers (part 19.6) and forms and records in computers (part 19.7).
Continuing review and gradual evolution of the Act
The Act will be kept under review as part of a continuing process to improve the clarity and coherence of the statute book. It is anticipated, for example, that the opportunity will be taken from time to time to bring within its scope subjects that are dealt with across the statute book in a piecemeal fashion or an outmoded manner.