Speaker Om Birla Stresses Clear Drafting as Foundation of Stronger Democracy

Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla today underscored the critical importance of legislative drafting in ensuring effective law-making, calling it the very soul of democracy. Speaking at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA) in Chandigarh during a two-day training program on legislative drafting, Shri Birla emphasized that laws must be written in clear, simple, and precise language to avoid judicial intervention and to ensure transparency, accountability, and public trust in governance.

The event was jointly organized by the Haryana Legislative Assembly, the Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies (ICPS), and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under the National Legislative Drafting Program, launched in 2023 by Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah. Nearly 400 officials and staff members of the Haryana Legislative Assembly and Government of Haryana are participating in the program.

Avoiding ‘Grey Areas’ in Law

Shri Birla highlighted that one of the most common issues in law-making arises when a “grey area” in legislative drafting leaves room for interpretation. This, he cautioned, expands the scope of judicial intervention, sometimes weakening the intended effect of the law.

“If legislative drafting is clear and simple, unnecessary judicial interference during review will be avoided. The better the drafting, the more effective, error-free, and just the law will be,” he said.

He drew inspiration from the Indian Constitution, noting that it clearly defines the separation of powers between the legislature, executive, and judiciary. Laws, he said, should remain true to the Constitution’s welfare-oriented spirit while being concise, transparent, and accessible to all citizens.

Democracy Strengthened by Trust

The Speaker noted that agreement and disagreement are natural strengths of democracy, but poor drafting often shifts debates away from ideology to technical loopholes in law. With precise drafting, he said, debates can remain focused on policy and ideology, making them more constructive and people-centric.

“The true strength of democracy lies in the trust of the people. That trust is reinforced only when legislatures and Parliament function in a transparent, organized, and accountable manner,” Shri Birla emphasized.

Attention to Language and Punctuation

In a detailed observation, Shri Birla noted that punctuation marks—commas, full stops, and semicolons—are as important as words themselves in legislative texts. Inaccuracies in such details, he said, can significantly alter meaning, underscoring the need for precision at every level.

“Legislative drafting is not merely a technical process but a democratic exercise that captures constitutional values and the aspirations of the people,” he remarked.

Participation of Leaders and Experts

The program was attended by several dignitaries, including:

• Shri Nayab Saini, Chief Minister of Haryana

• Shri Harvindra Kalyan, Speaker, Haryana Vidhan Sabha

• Shri U.T. Khader Fareed, Speaker, Karnataka Legislative Assembly

• Dr. Krishan Lal Middha, Deputy Speaker, Haryana Vidhan Sabha

• Shri Utpal Kumar Singh, Secretary General, Lok Sabha

The presence of leaders from multiple legislatures highlighted the pan-India scope of the initiative, reflecting the shared national goal of building stronger, more efficient legislative institutions.

Haryana’s Role in Strengthening Democracy

Commending Haryana for its contributions to agriculture, sports, and industry, Shri Birla also praised the State’s role in strengthening democratic traditions. He expressed confidence that the officials and staff trained through this program would become masters in legislative drafting, thereby contributing to the creation of laws that meet the aspirations of citizens.

National Legislative Drafting Program

The Chandigarh training is part of the larger National Legislative Drafting Program, which has already been conducted in Gandhinagar, Lucknow, Shimla, Ranchi, Jabalpur, and Patna. The program aims to build capacity among State legislatures, ensuring that laws are drafted with clarity, precision, and constitutional alignment.

Expert speakers are guiding participants on:

• Principles of legislative drafting

• Rules of legal interpretation

• Constitutional values in law-making

• Best practices in drafting and formatting

The program will conclude tomorrow (27 September 2025), with participants sharing their experiences and key takeaways in the closing session.

Conclusion

In his closing remarks, Shri Birla extended gratitude to the Haryana Legislative Assembly, the Government of Haryana, and ICPS for their collaboration. He also thanked the media, acknowledging its vital role in bringing democratic processes closer to the people.

“By strengthening legislative drafting, we are not only refining the law-making process but also deepening democracy itself. This initiative will enhance the dignity and effectiveness of legislative institutions across India,” Shri Birla concluded.