Writing Clear, Practical Laws
Well-drafted legislation is clear, practical, enforceable, and adaptable to changing realities on the ground. CIJ’s Drafting Laws that Matter training programme is designed to strengthen government lawyers’ legislative drafting skills, improving institutional capacity and having a wide-ranging impact on the quality of legislation.

The programme consists of two parts. The foundational module focuses on core legislative principles, legal clarity, policy translation into law, and best practices in drafting. The advanced module then builds upon this knowledge to develop sophisticated drafting skills for complex legal frameworks and specialised areas of law.

A Flexible and Customisable Programme
The curriculum of the Drafting Laws that Matter training programme can be customised to the challenges and context faced by any government. By focusing on practical skills development and real-world application, the training addresses the critical gap between policy intention and legal implementation. Teaching techniques include a combination of interactive sessions and practical exercises.

Shaping Regulatory Standards in Zambia
In December 2024, 35 participants from Zambia completed the foundational module. Attendees came from across government, including the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labour, and the Zambia Law Development Commission. The training significantly enhanced participants’ confidence and competence in legislative drafting, creating a skilled cohort positioned to drive improvements to the legal reform process across ministries, departments, and agencies. The content of the training was codeveloped with the Zambian government to address specific gaps that it had identified.

Supporting Malawi with Practical Skills
In 2025, this was followed by the delivery of the programme to 26 public lawyers from Malawi, conducted in collaboration with the country’s Ministry of Justice. The Malawi programme emphasised hands-on application, equipping participants with the capabilities to design precise legal frameworks that advance the country’s development objectives.

An Ongoing Partnership with Malawi’s Government
CIJ’s ongoing support in this area includes assistance in legal drafting, research and policy analysis, and facilitation of consultations with key stakeholders. The process is guided by international best practices but grounded in Malawi’s legal context and development priorities.

It forms part of CIJ’s broader engagement in Malawi to strengthen legal systems that enable effective governance and inclusive economic growth. By helping to build a sound regulatory framework for the mining sector, CIJ is supporting the government of Malawi’s efforts to unlock long-term value from its natural resources in a way that benefits the country and its people.