A day in the life of a Parliamentary Counsel
A film about working as a Parliamentary Counsel.
As part of raising awareness about our role in government, we wanted to bring to life what it is like to be a Parliamentary Counsel. With help from our colleagues in the Cabinet Office press team we bring to you:
‘A Day in the Life of a Parliamentary Counsel’.
Parliamentary Counsel’s main role is to draft government Bills for introduction into Parliament, and government amendments to Bills as they go through Parliament. Our drafting projects are often complex, novel, politically sensitive and fast-moving. The work is stretching and at times demanding, and offers a unique insight into the process of turning policy into law. Drafters do not specialise in any one area of the law and are expected to be able to work on a wide variety of legislation from the short and simple to the complex and highly political. They also provide advice to the government, handle parliamentary business on bills, and draft and review secondary legislation.
In the film, Andrew takes us across Whitehall as he meets with a bill team to discuss a proposal for a new law, produces a first draft to deliver the policy, receives detailed drafting feedback from a colleague and heads over to Parliament to discuss scheduling on a Bill.
If a career at the Office of Parliamentary Counsel interests you, please follow our website and our social media channels for updates on new recruitment cycles. If you want to know more about the different types of career paths that might bring you to the office, please read our online pen portraits.