Republic of Mauritius- Legislative Drafting training programme for Senior Public Officers kicks off

In his address, the Minister Boissézon highlighted that the training programme is in line with the vision and felt need of Government to continually enhance the skills, knowledge and learning competencies of public employees in specific areas of responsibilities. Lifelong learning and continuous professional development, he stated, are necessities in the current public career environment as they have to do with initiative, persistence and acumen, as well as capacity and ability to bring meaningful changes to the quality of life of Mauritian citizens.

As the rule of law, which is the very foundation of a democratic society, epitomises the principles of justice and equity, an understanding of the way in which laws are crafted in our system of politics and administration is of utmost importance for participants present, he underscored. It is imperative that participants, as policy makers, be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to manage legislative projects, prepare policy specifications, and work optimally with professional law drafters, he emphasised.

The Civil Service Minister also added that understanding the principles and values enshrined in the Constitution as well as the different stages in legislative drafting constitutes a vital element of the continuous learning and skill acquisition process of public officers.

For his part, Minister Gobin expressed his belief that the course will be highly beneficial to the policy makers present and dwelt of the importance to have clear policy guidelines. He also pointed out that legislative reforms also mean repealing laws instead of requiring more legislation.

Training programme in Legislative Drafting

The training programme targets Officers of the Administrative Cadre of Deputy Permanent Secretary and above, as well as those of the Technical Grades not below the rank of Deputy Director. Some 30 participants are attending the programme and the resource person is Dr Satyabhooshun Domah, former Judge of the Supreme Court of Mauritius.

The objectives of the training programme are, among others, to enable participants to master legislative provision that poses special challenges; understand the constitutional values in Legislative Drafting; and learn the stages in the process of Legislative Drafting. Participants are also expected to understand the basin and house rules, and identify pitfalls and checks as well as giving effect to the latters, at the end of the training programme.