Introduction 

This diploma is a unique part–time evening programme offering legal practitioners, civil servants, local government officials, regulators, law graduates or persons with relevant legislative experience the opportunity to obtain an Advanced Diploma in Legislative Drafting. 

This course is expressly designed to expose participants to all aspect of the theory and practice of legislative drafting and to  train participants in the skills required in relation to the preparation and drafting of primary and secondary legislation thereby fulfilling a very important role in the delivery of legal education for a vital area of governance.

Programme Aims and Learning Outcomes

The programme will expose participants to all aspects of the theory and practice of legislative drafting. 

With this advanced diploma, you will have gained a unique qualification that will give you a solid foundation in drafting legislation, identifying loopholes and translating policy into law.

On successful completion of the programme, the participants will have the knowledge required to understand a drafting project and will have practised and honed the skills required to participate in the preparation and drafting of legislation. A key aim of the course is to integrate theory and practice.

Who is the course for?

The course is suitable for legal practitioners, civil and public servants, consultants, agencies and regulators who require the skill of drafting legislation and regulations. 

Course Designers and Lead Lecturers

The designers and lead lecturers of the course are Margaret Kelleher, Parliamentary Counsel and Ciara Kennedy BL.  

Margaret is a qualified solicitor and Parliamentary Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General. She is also a member of the Government Legislation Committee. She heads up a Parliamentary Counsel group specialising in the drafting and delivery of legislative drafting services for a number of Government Departments, including the Department of Health and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Ciara is a qualified barrister and senior civil servant with extensive interest and experience in the preparation of legislation. She first joined the tutoring panel for this course in 2012.  

Course Content and Delivery

Delivery is in part–time evening mode through the medium of seminars, workshops and lectures presented by leading experts in the area. The programme runs over a period of approximately 15 teaching weeks and is delivered two evenings per week, usually Monday  and Wednesday, from 5.30pm–7.30pm, in a small group setting. Most classes will take place in–person at King’s Inns with some classes taking place online. 

Provisional Start Date: 26th May 2025 with provisional end date of 20th October 2025. Please note  that there will be no lectures between the 24th July 2025 and 14th September 2025.

All class notes are available to read through our Virtual Learning Environment. Online tutorials and IT support are available to help students navigate their way through our library and legal resource databases.

Course Content 

The programme is comprised of 8 key modules:

1. What drafters do
2. Statutory interpretation and its relevance to drafting
3. Sources of Legislation
4. Public law considerations 
5. Cabinet processes, legislative processes and private members’ Bills
6. Writing skills
7. Legal writing
8. Implementing EU measures
9. Secondary legislation
10. Practical workshops

Please note the course content is subject to change in accordance with new developments in this area. 

Experiential learning forms a significant part of the programme with participants learning reflectively through exercises and individualised feedback and consequently practical workshops will be one of the teaching methods used in most areas. This will consist of a variety of teaching and learning interventions including practical skills development. Formal presentations provide background theory in the substantive knowledge areas underpinning the programme.

Assessment and Accreditation

This is a professional development course and it is accredited independently by The Honorable Society of King’s Inns. The skills and competence gained in studying at King’s Inns are transferable, portable and recognised internationally. It is a valuable qualification delivered by Parliamentary Counsel and former Parliamentary Counsel of the Office of the Attorney General senior civil and public servants and distinguished legal lawyers.  

To be awarded the Advanced Diploma, a participant is required to successfully complete four assessments  Learners will be required to undertake an in–person examination at King’s Inns in addition to three take home assessments.

Course Fee

• Course fee: €5,550 
• You should view the fee structure, payment terms, and other charges here > 

Barrister–at–Law graduates who are subscribing members to King’s Inns receive a 10% discount on this course. You must receive your discount code before applying. View more information here >

Admission Requirements 

Places on this course are strictly limited in order to preserve the small group, interactive nature of the learning experience for the course. This course is invariably over–subscribed. King’s Inns has selection criteria in place and applicants are required to submit certain documentation to support an application.

• Personal Statement addressing how the candidate’s qualifications and/or previous or current work experience are relevant to the course.
• Certified Copy of your academic and professional achievements. If you are a barrister, it is not necessary to supply this information.
• Any relevant documents supporting your application.
• Documents may be submitted in the following formats: pdf, png, gif, jpg, jpeg. The maximum allowed size for each document is 20MB.

Download the Personal Statement template >

How do I Apply?

• Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis for Spring 2025.
• Acceptance on this course will be notified on an ongoing basis. If you have been accepted, your place on the course will not be secured until payment is received in full. It is advised to pay as soon as you get accepted.
• Payment can be made through the Application Portal using your credit or debit card (please make sure your bank allows you to process the full payment in one go), or
• If your employer is paying for your studies, you will require a valid PO number in advance of making the application, the name and email address for the person responsible for payment in your organisation.
• The invoice will issue directly to the person whose details you enter. The participant will also be able to download a copy of the invoice through the Application Portal. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure their employer has paid in full within the timeframe required in order to secure a place. King’s Inns cannot contact your employer for payment, we can only liaise with the applicant.

An automated payment receipt will be generated confirming your place on the course.

Subscribing members: You must apply your discount code upon application. It cannot be applied after the application is made.

Note: The provisional application closing date is 19th May; however, applications may close earlier if the course reaches full capacity before this date. We encourage early application to secure your place.

Apply here >

RECEIVE NOTIFICATION WHEN MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE