Jones, B.C. orcid.org/0000-0003-2344-976X (2012) Do short bill titles matter? Surprising insights from Westminster and Holyrood. Parliamentary Affairs, 65 (2). pp. 448-462. ISSN 0031-2290
Abstract
The note is based on an exploratory investigation into the importance of short bill titles in the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments. Given the dearth of research and the commonly innocuous nature of short titles throughout the years, such titles are not provided much significance in either jurisdiction, either from a bill drafting or legislative process perspective. Drawing on a small sample of interviewees close to both processes in Westminster and Holyrood, it is demonstrated that short titles do indeed matter for a variety of reasons. Many MPs, MSPs, bill drafters and government employees acknowledged that short titles: do not serve merely as referential points; are important in the lawmaking process; could assist in the passage of legislation from a bill to a law and that some short titles were written to manipulate or persuade individuals into favouring legislation. Although clearly in the minority, there were also legislators in both jurisdictions who stated that such titles affected them when voting on legislation.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author [2011]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Hansard Society. This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in Parliamentary Affairs. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Short Bill Titles; Legislative Drafting; Legislative Processes; Westminster Parliament; Scottish Parliament |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > School of Law (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 25 Mar 2022 09:55 |
Last Modified: | 25 Mar 2022 09:55 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Oxford University Press |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1093/pa/gsr060 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:184865 |