Legislation is the process of a governing body enacting laws, often in the form of statutes. It sets the rules and standards that citizens and businesses must follow. Legislation ensures order, justice and fairness in society by protecting the rights and liberties of citizens as well as ensuring that businesses are operating ethically and within the law.
Generally, legislation takes one of four forms: a bill, joint resolution, concurrent resolution or simple resolution. Each legislative proposal is assigned a prefix indicating the chamber of origin, as well as a unique serial number, and is then referred to committees. At the conclusion of committee consideration, a bill may be reported favorably or adversely, and is then considered on the floor of the chamber.
The drafting of legislation is a complex matter and depends on many factors. It is important for legislators to have the best possible legal expertise when drafting legislation, and for courts to consider the intent of the legislature in interpreting the law. This is sometimes referred to as legislative history or legislative purpose, and is an intrinsic aid to statutory construction.
The legislative process is a fundamental aspect of democracy, providing ample opportunity for public participation and debate. The open discussion of legislative proposals is a hallmark of our bicameral system and has frequently resulted in the notable improvement of a bill, as well as the rejection of an inadvisable proposal. Moreover, this process provides an essential safeguard against the undue influence of special interests.