Making Better Law

Reform of the legislative process from Policy to Act

We funded a series of seminars focussed on different aspects of law making and how greater expert input during the development of legislation would improve the final outcomes.

The resulting report, Making Better Law, concluded that Parliament should be more assertive in the face of poorly prepared legislation and recommended a new Legislative Standards Committee is needed. 

Poor quality law

The quality of law is ultimately shaped by the scrutiny it receives in Parliament. But the tidal wave of often hastily prepared, deficient legislation that Parliament has been asked to scrutinise over the last decade and more has severely stretched the capacity of parliamentarians to perform their constitutional function effectively.

Making Better Law examines legislative process from policy to Act of Parliament, including consultation, drafting and scrutiny procedures. It analyses the political, procedural and cultural factors that together help determine the quality of the UK statute book. It diagnoses the causes and consequences of deficient law and sets out a comprehensive package of reform recommendations for Government and Parliament to improve the quality of law-making in the future.

Making Better Law is available to order from the Hansard Society website.