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Legal Consequentials: an Information Seeking Task

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2023

Abstract

This article is a summary of a parallel session delivered by Stephen Gregory at the BIALL Conference 2022. We may frequently work with amended legislation but have we ever stopped to think about the processes involved in identifying and implementing amendments? Drawing on experiences of working with government lawyers this article explores how government legal information professionals can assist in identifying candidates for consequential amendment. The complexities of searching for references to specific legislation provisions are described, providing some suggested search solutions. A risk-based approach is suggested. He concludes that by working collaboratively government information professionals may add significant value and benefit.

Information

Type
BIALL Annual Conference 2022: A Selection of Papers
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by British and Irish Association of Law Librarians
Figure 0

Figure 1 Welsh primary legislation. The number of Measures of the National Assembly for Wales (NAFW) (2008–2011), Acts of the NAFW (2012–2020) and Acts of Senedd Cymru (2020-) receiving Royal Assent each year. Assembly / Senedd periods appear below the timeline axis. The horizontal line, just above 5 pieces of primary legislation p.a., indicates the average (mean) number ‘Acts’ 2008–2021.

Figure 1

Figure 2 Welsh secondary legislation. The number of statutory instruments passed each year. Assembly / Senedd numbers appear below the timeline axis. The black line indicates the average (mean) number of SIs per year.

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Figure 3 CA provided by Schedule. Extracts from the Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Act 2021. (© Crown, 2021 reused under Open Government Licence v.3.0 https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/).

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Figure 4 Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 exemplifies the hybrid model of CA. (© Crown, 2019 reused under Open Government Licence v.3.0 https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/).

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Figure 5 Westlaw UK Legislation Citing for Education Act 2002, s.101. (©Thomson Reuters, 2022. Provided here with kind permission of Thomson Reuters).

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Table 1 Sample searches in Lexis Library and Westlaw UK for clear, direct legislative citations.

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Table 2 Search strategies to accommodate abbreviation of the full Act title, as applied by interpretive provisions. Similar strategies could also be used for interpretive abbreviations in SIs.