Legal Drafting Fundamentals: Time Expressions and Techniques

Expressions and Words Relating to Time

• In computation of time, there is a problem of whether to reckon exclusively or inclusively the stated date or dates in a legal document.
• "ON" is interpreted as inclusive of the stated date, e.g. "on 10th November 2011" includes the stated date, meaning the whole day.

Rules and Techniques of Drafting

• A draftsman must know when a stated period begins and expires.
• Expressions and words relating to time must be used carefully to convey the appropriate intention.
• Rules and techniques of drafting are essential for a draftsman to learn and have at heart when drafting a legal document.

Study Unit Objectives

• The aim of this unit is to equip students with the rules and technicalities of drafting legal documents.
• The question of time is no longer a question of fact but of law.

Study Unit Structure

• Each study unit includes specific objectives, directions for study, reading materials, and Self-Assessment Exercises (SAE).
• Tutor Marked Assignments will assist in achieving the stated learning objectives of the individual units and of the course.

Assessment

• There are two aspects of the assessment of this course: Tutor Marked Assignments and a written examination.
• The Tutor Marked Assignments carry 30% of the total score, and the assignments must be submitted to the tutor for formal assessment.

Letter Writing and Words of Negotiation

• Lawyers are letter writers, and the quality of a letter reveals the quality of the writer.
• Letters must be written in clear, straight-to-the-point, and simple language to meet the reader's needs and make it comprehensible to the readers.
• Types of letter writing include official letters, memoranda, legal opinions, and reports.
• The format of a letter is important, and words of negotiation are crucial in letter writing.