Explanatory notes describe the legal effect of legislation. They do not describe the policy aims behind the legislation, just its legal effect.
All legislation has an explanatory note when lodged in the States Assembly (in the case of Laws, Regulations and Acts) or prepared for signing (all other instruments). They are NOT updated if the legislation changes. They relate only to the version of the legislation they were originally prepared for.
Explanatory notes are often used by courts to assist with the interpretation of provisions.
To find explanatory notes:
- laws, regulations and acts, view the proposition for the instrument, which contains the explanatory note. Search Propositions on the States Assembly website, or in current laws click on the ‘projet no’ link in the endnotes for the instrument you are interest in.
- orders, rules and bye-laws, search the States Assembly order papers. The explanatory note is included in the papers for the Assembly meeting where these instruments are considered.