Senatus consultum on legal drafting (Nova Roma)

SENATUS CONSULTUM ON LEGAL DRAFTING

I. The Senate, recognizing the need of some magistrates to have assistance in drafting legal instruments in English, authorizes the Gaius Equitius Cato to identify citizens of Nova Roma with an excellent command of the English language, as evidenced by their grammar, punctuation and vocabulary whilst also demonstrating clarity of meaning in their posts.

II. Gaius Equitius Cato will ascertain whether those citizens identified at section I above are willing to be identified as potential scribes for magistrates wishing to draft legal instruments.

III. Those citizens so willing shall have their names entered onto a dedicated page on the Nova Roman website/wiki.

IV. Gaius Equitius Cato shall develop a recommended standard format for each type of legal instrument and shall ensure that those citizens at III are proficient in the use of each format. He shall also ensure that such citizens are knowledgeable as to the contents of all existing legal instruments in force.

V. A magistrate wishing the use of the services of such a citizen shall, after ascertaining that citizen is available and willing to undertake the task, appoint him/her as a scribe.

VI. Gaius Equitius Cato shall evaluate any negative feedback on the performance and/or quality of work of any such citizen selected at V, and if he feels it appropriate to do so shall remove their name from the page at III.

VII. Use by a magistrate of such citizens at III is not mandatory.

VIII. In the event that the content of a proposed legal instrument would create either a conflict with an existing legal instrument, or a legal ambiguity, then either the scribe at V. and/or Gaius Equitius Cato, shall draw that to the attention of the magistrate at V.

IX. Gaius Equitius Cato shall execute this commission for a term of three years. Prorogation for a further term of three years shall automatically occur if the Senate does not address the matter of his prorogation before the three-year anniversary of his first or last appointment.