22 September 2021
On Tuesday 28th September 2021, the day after the Corn Riots bank holiday, the Legislation (Jersey) Law 2021 will come into force, improving islanders' access to Jersey's legislation and bringing changes for the Legislative Drafting Office.
The Legislative Drafting Office has been continually producing updated unofficial versions of legislation showing all new amendments as soon as they come into force. That has been particularly important for islanders during the Covid-19 epidemic. On Tuesday those updated versions will become the official versions of the law, so they can be relied on and used in court.
The jerseylaw.je website, run by the Jersey Legal Information Board, will see its legislation pages completely replaced. People will find it easier to search for relevant legislation by the subjects that it covers or the words in its title.
The new Law will also set out the Legislative Drafting Office's other duties for the first time. It will formally update the name from "Law Draftsman's Office" to reflect modern gender-neutral drafting.
Lucy Marsh-Smith, the Principal Legislative Drafter (head of the office) said "We are really pleased to have been able to work with the Jersey Legal Information Board to bring forward these improvements in time to form part of the celebrations of the 1771 Code, the Corn Riots, and Democracy Week. Over the rest of this year our Beyond 250 project will see us producing further improvements in access to our legislation. It is vital for islanders to be able to find and rely on the up-to-date legislation that governs our lives, particularly when it changes as fast as it has over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic."
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