About the Office of Parliamentary Counsel
The Office of Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) is a Division of the Attorney-General's Department of South Australia.
OPC is responsible for—
- drafting Bills for the Government and Private Members for presentation to the Parliament of South Australia
- drafting subordinate legislation in the nature of regulations, proclamations and other instruments of a legislative character made by the Governor under Acts of Parliament
- providing advice on legislative matters to the Government and Private Members
- revising and publishing up-to-date legislation under the Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002 in hard copy and electronic form
- publishing an Index of South Australian Statutes
- managing this website.
In 1991 the Office established a comprehensive program for revising and publishing all public general Acts and Regulations and Rules made by the Governor on an ongoing basis. Since then the legislation has been kept up-to-date in consolidated form on a fortnightly basis. The revision and publication program is now conducted under the Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002. Pamphlet copies of all Acts and regulations and rules made by the Governor are now available.
Since 1992 a separate Index of South Australian Statutes has been published annually, complemented by a cumulative update produced on a fortnightly basis.
The legislation website developed and managed by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel makes this information accessible to the general public.
The functions of OPC are carried out by a team of specialised lawyers and administrative officers. Members of the legal staff attend Parliament during the passage of Bills to provide advice to both the relevant Minister and other Members and to prepare Government and Opposition amendments.
The staff maintain a fully professional relationship with the Government and Members of Parliament and treat all instructions and discussions relating to legislation with the utmost confidentiality. OPC is committed to maintaining the highest technical and professional standards for the benefit of the Parliament.
The Commonwealth and every State and Territory have an office of parliamentary counsel, and there is a Parliamentary Counsel's Committee which is made up of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel from each jurisdiction. The Committee prepares model, uniform or complementary legislation to implement national schemes.