LANGUAGE OF STATUTES

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29009, 25 September 1959, Page 12

LANGUAGE OF STATUTES

Minister Defends Draftsmen (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 24. It would be quite wrong to look through the Statutes and there expect to find beautiful English, said the Minister of Finance (Mr Nordmeyer) in the House of Representatives tonight, when referring to the desire of Mr T. P. Shand (Opposition, Marlborough) to clarify in the latter’s two amendments to the Land and Income Tax Amendment Bill certain clauses in the measure. It was perhaps desirable that law draftsmen take an honours course in English before they took up law drafting, Mr Nordmeyer suggested. He said that Mr Shand had been adamant about the use of understandable English in the drafting of legislation, and he (the Minister) would not object to anyone pointing out where terminology might be improved. But he could not be expected to accept technical amendments from the member in preference to those prepared by highly competent law draftsmen. The important thing was that law draftsmen put into language matters which could be understood by the legal profession and about which there would be no argument though argument there was. “I would prefer to rely on the law draftsmen rather than on the well-intentioned effort of the member for Marlborough,” said Mr Nordmeyer. Mr Algie’s Protest Mr R. M. Algie (Opposition. Remuera) said that the honest effort of a member to make a section in a bill more intelligible ought not to be brushed aside too lightly by the Minister. The Minister had made a clever and moderately funny speech, but he was not sincere nor serious. Mr Algie said he had read the section which Mr Shand sought to amend, and appreciated the difficulties confronting the law draftsmen as well as their scholarship “But here in this House we have to say we have found it difficult to understand the section.” said Mr Algie. Mr Nordmeyer said he had been advised that there was no advantage in adopting the proposals The complications with which the relevant section dealt arose mainly from the fact that there was provision for partial exemptions, which took a lot of drafting. As Minister he had decided it would be wise to retain the sections as drafted. The law draftsmen had the responsibility to those who ought to understand them. He himself had tried to make the section understandable to the layman without losing the effect or the purpose of the section. Bryndwr Methodist Church.— The 32nd church anniversary services of St. John’s Methodist Church, Bryndwr. were conby Rev G D Grccott and the minister, the Rev N P w,! M ”