Shiraka Training Programme Legislation

Project description

The specific objectives of this training are to:
• Provide high-quality training to a group of twenty-five civil servants (policymakers, judges, public prosecutors, officers working at the ministries of justice and other governmental organisations) involved in the field of legislative drafting in their respective countries.
• Acquaint the participants with the Dutch and European best practices in the field of legislative drafting, while also facilitating comparative insights into the legislative policies and practices in the participants’ countries.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange in addressing legislative challenges in the region.

Additionally, the course provides participants with the opportunity to develop a valuable network with other civil servants in the region and in the Netherlands.

The training programme on legislation consists of 10 training days in the Netherlands and 5 training days in one of the participating countries (including travel days). The two modules are related and designed to support learning through follow-up and tailored feedback on participants’ real life legislative practice.

The training will be interactive and geared towards practice and cooperation, while providing participants with insights and new or comparative perspectives on:
• The Dutch constitutional system, including the role of the legislation and the legislative process; policy and practice for legislative quality in the Netherlands
• Law drafting and the role of the legislative lawyer; problems and challenges in legislative drafting, constraints for legislative lawyers
• International standards and treaties and legislation
• The architecture of a draft law
• Language rules and structures in legal drafting
• Training of legislative drafters in the Netherlands (the Academy for Legislation)
• Public/civil society involvement in preparation of legislation
• Tools and resources of Dutch legislative drafters
• Implementation, enforcement and evaluation of legislation

All theoretical elements will be complemented by practical examples and individual and group assignments, as well as group discussions and debates. Participants will learn about and apply the tools used by Dutch law drafters, and are expected to contribute actively to the training sessions.

Exchange of views and experiences with legislative lawyers of the Netherlands Ministry of Justice and Security will also be part of the training, as well as visits to other key Dutch institutions, such as for example to the Council of State, the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament and the Cabinet of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands.