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About the Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel

The Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel (OQPC) is responsible for drafting all Queensland Acts, and subordinate legislation made under Queensland Acts.

In addition to its legislative drafting and advisory role, OQPC is responsible for preparing reprints (consolidated versions) of Queensland legislation. OQPC also produces other publications containing information about legislation.

This website contains the Queensland legislation collection created and maintained by OQPC since 1991. The collection provides electronic access to reprints of Queensland Acts and subordinate legislation, as well as to Queensland Acts as passed from 1963 and all subordinate legislation published in the subordinate legislation series from 1 July 1991. Bills introduced to Parliament from 1992 are also included.

The legislation collection provides a convenient reference and research tool for lawyers, public servants and all those who use legislation. Legislation published from 2013 and current reprints are authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel. OQPC will progressively authorise pre-2013 legislation on the website.

Also available on the website are a range of other publications about legislation, including the Queensland Legislation Annotations, explanatory notes (for Bills and subordinate legislation) and regulatory impact statements (for subordinate legislation) and a number of handbooks published by OQPC.

Our vision

Committed to excellence in Queensland legislation

Our role

Support government and democracy by drafting and publishing legislation for Queensland

Our objectives

Draft Queensland legislation of the highest standard
Provide access to Queensland legislation of the highest standard
Maximise OQPC’s organisational capability and agility

Our Clients

Drafting

the Premier
Cabinet and its committees
Ministers
Government departments and government entities
Parliament and its committees
Members of Parliament

Publishing

drafting clients
the courts and legal profession
the community

Top of page

Office profile

The Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel (OQPC) was established as a statutory office by the Legislative Standards Act 1992 on 1 June 1992. OQPC was established to ensure:

Queensland legislation is of the highest standard
An effective and efficient legislative drafting service is provided for Queensland legislation
Queensland legislation, and information about Queensland legislation, is readily available in printed and electronic form.

OQPC consists of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel and the staff of OQPC. Subject to the Minister (the Honourable the Premier), the parliamentary counsel controls OQPC and is its chief executive.

Our organisation chart

The organisation charts for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (including OQPC) can be located here.

Legislation relating to OQPC and its services

Acts Interpretation Act 1954
Reprints Act 1992
Statutory Instruments Act 1992
Statutory Instruments Regulation 1992
Legislative Standards Act 1992

OQPC services

Drafting services

drafting all Government Bills
drafting proposed Bills for government entities other than departments and public service offices if asked
drafting private members Bills if asked
drafting all amendments of Bills for Ministers and other members
drafting all subordinate legislation, other than exempt subordinate legislation
drafting other instruments for use in, or in connection with, the Legislative Assembly if asked
in performing its drafting functions, providing advice to Ministers, members, and government entities about alternative ways of achieving policy objectives and the application of fundamental legislative principles
providing advice to the Governor in Council, Ministers and government entities on the lawfulness of proposed subordinate legislation.

Publishing and information services

preparing reprints of Queensland legislation
preparing and publishing information about Queensland legislation
facilitating arrangements for the printing of Queensland legislation and information about legislation
maintaining this website to provide electronic access to Queensland legislation and information about legislation.

The drafting of legislation

OQPC drafts all legislation using Adobe FrameMaker and Acrobat with customised programming modules to allow for the automation of most drafting procedures.

The website

OQPC is responsible for the development, content creation, and administration of this web site.