Distinguished Legislative Drafter delivers Training for AGs Office

"The quality of our laws begins with the quality of our drafting..

February 21, 2026

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20 February 2026, Apia Samoa, Press Release. The Office of the Attorney General was honoured to host Mr. Graham Bruce Powell on Thursday 19th February 2026 with an opportunity to receive a comprehensive training session on the discipline and art of legal drafting.

Mr. Powell is a distinguished senior legislative drafter from New Zealand, who is also a former Parliamentary Counsel of Samoa.

Powell delivered a one-and-a-half-hour professional development session on legislative drafting for all teams of the AGs Office.

Mr.Powell’s drafting career spans several Pacific jurisdictions. He returned to the AGs Office this week in a spirit of collegiality and mentorship.

Drawing on decades of experience, he provided practical insights and guidance into achieving clarity in legislative language.

The training focused on the structure of provisions to ensure laws are coherent, and fit for purpose while remaining accessible and enforceable.

The session explored and covered key drafting principles, including:

• Writing with precision while maintaining plain language.

• Structuring legislation to support logical flow and clear interpretation.

• Anticipating legal and operational challenges during the drafting process; and

• Upholding consistency across statutes and subsidiary legislation.

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Lawyers across the Office engaged actively in the discussion, reflecting the Office of the Attorney General’s strong commitment to continuous professional development and excellence in public law drafting,

The Attorney General expressed sincere appreciation to Mr Powell for his generosity and willingness to share his expertise.

“Engagements of this nature strengthen institutional capacity and uphold the high standards expected of the Government’s principal main legal advisers..

“The quality of our laws begins with the quality of our drafting. We are deeply grateful to Mr. Graham Powell for investing his knowledge in the next generation of govemment lawyers free of charge,”

The Office of the Attorney General remains committed to fOstering professional growth and strengthening Samoa’s legal institutions through collaboration with experienced practitioners across the region.