MALAWI – In June 2025, the Chandler Institute of Justice (CIJ) delivered a legislative drafting training programme in Malawi for table and committee clerks serving in Parliament. The programme equipped parliamentary support staff with the knowledge and tools to engage more effectively with legislation, strengthening their capacity to assist committees in scrutinising and processing the legislative proposals that come before them.

Understanding the Law from the Inside

Table and committee clerks occupy a uniquely important position in the legislative process. Though they are not drafters or lawyers, they are the people who facilitate Parliament's day-to-day engagement with legislation, managing committee proceedings, supporting debate, and helping to ensure that the parliamentary process functions smoothly. Their ability to understand the architecture of a Bill, to identify ambiguities, and to support effective committee scrutiny is critical to the quality of lawmaking.

CIJ's training was designed to build exactly this capacity. The programme focused on the fundamentals of legislative structure: the Constitution as the foundational legal instrument, and how primary and secondary legislation must operate within its framework. Participants examined how laws are built, how provisions across these different instruments interact, and what parliamentary clerks should look for when supporting the scrutiny of Bills. They left with a clearer understanding of the internal logic of legislation and a stronger ability to contribute to robust parliamentary oversight.

Strengthening the Legislative Ecosystem

Effective legislatures depend on the quality of support available to elected representatives. By investing in the capacity of parliamentary clerks, the professionals who sit at the intersection of procedure and substance, this programme strengthens the entire legislative ecosystem. Legislative capacity must be built across all the roles that shape what ultimately becomes law, not only among drafters.

Strong parliaments need strong support. Investing in parliamentary clerks is an investment in the quality of every law they help to process.