The rules of formal legistics in lusophony: A comparative view

Abstract

This article aims to analyze and compare criteria and formal rules for legislative drafting (formal legistics) of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, GuineaBissau, Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste. The nine Portuguese-speaking States and Regions that we are discussing not only share the official Portuguese language but also have similar legal cultures. This article seeks to identify similarities and differences while aiming at the opening of paths to a true common space of lusophone legislative drafting rules. In particular, the following subjects are discussed: i) preamble and explanation of reasons; ii) summaries; iii) rules of systematic ordering; iv) articles, numbers, paragraphs and subparagraphs; v) references; vi) amendments, revocations, additions and suspensions; vii) annexes; viii) final provisions; ix) clarity; x) verbal tenses; xi) use of non-discriminatory language; xii) linguistic uniformity; xiii) expressions in foreign languages; xiv) use of upper and lower case; xv) abbreviations; xvi) acronyms; xvii) numbering; xviii) scientific formulas; xix) bold, italics and quotation marks; and xx) parentheses and indents.