General questions

1. What is the role of the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel (OCPC)?
   
2. Can OCPC provide legal advice to the public?
   
3. How do I gain access to Victorian legislation and other statutory publications?
   
4. What statutory publications are produced by OCPC?
   
5. What is the Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents Home Page and what can I find there?
   
6. How do I find out if there is legislation dealing with a particular subject-matter?
   
7. How do I find out which Minister is responsible for an Act or Statutory Rule?
   
8. Where can I find information regarding copyright?
   

1. What is the role of the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel (OCPC)?

The role of the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel of Victoria (OCPC) is to provide the State of Victoria with a comprehensive and integrated range of high quality services related to the development, drafting, publication and implementation of legislation.

Specific responsibilities of the Office include:
• to draft Bills for introduction into the Parliament
• to draft, settle, certify and advise on statutory rules, Rules of Court and other subordinate legislation
• to provide a range of legal and administrative advice to Government on legislative and Parliamentary matters
• to maintain a master database of legislation including an on-line electronic database
• to manage contracts for the printing and publication of legislation and other related matters

See About OCPC on this website for more information regarding the role and history of OCPC.

2. Can OCPC provide legal advice to the public?

For legal advice about Acts or Statutory Rules contact the Department that is responsible for the Act or Statutory Rule or a qualified legal practitioner.

OCPC cannot give information or legal advice to the public about the operation of particular Acts or Statutory Rules.

OCPC does however provide legislative information to the public in its statutory publications, on this website and at www.legislation.vic.gov.au.

3. How do I gain access to Victorian legislation and other statutory publications?

Victorian Acts and Statutory Rules are published both in hard copy and electronically. The hard copy, which is published by authority of the Victorian Government Printer, is the only official version which may be used in court (see section 54(2A) of the Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984).

Other statutory publications produced by OCPC are also available in hard copy and electronically.

Hard copies of Victorian Legislation and statutory publications can be obtained by:


• subscription (available from Anstat Pty Ltd, telephone (03) 9278 1144)
  
• over the counter sales (available from Information Victoria, telephone 1300 366 356)
You can electronically access Victorian Legislation at at www.legislation.vic.gov.au.

4. What statutory publications are produced by OCPC?

OCPC currently produces these Statutory publications in hard copy format.



Interim Cumulative Tables	Published
Interim Cumulative Acts Tables	as at 1 July
Interim Cumulative Statutory Rules Tables	as at 1 July




Annual Tables	Published
Cumulative Acts Tables	as at 1 January
Cumulative Statutory Rules Tables	as at 1 January
Bound Volume of Acts of Parliament	as at 1 July and 1 January
Bound Volume of Statutory Rules	as at 1 July and 1 January
Index to Subject Matter of Victorian Legislation	as at 1 January



OCPC currently produces the Victorian Legislation Update in electronic format.

5. What is the Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents Home Page and what can I find there?

The Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents Home Page (www.legislation.vic.gov.au) is made up of the following three repositories:
• Parliamentary Documents - which contains documents, including Bills, which are under consideration by the Parliament of Victoria
• Victorian Statute Book - which contains all Acts and Statutory Rules enacted or made after 1 January 1996
• The Victorian Law Today - which contains consolidated Principal Acts and Statutory Rules in operation in Victoria at a given point in time (from 1 July 1997 onwards)

6. How do I find out if there is legislation dealing with a particular subject-matter?

OCPC produces an Index to Subject Matter of Victorian Legislation.

This is available from Anstat Pty Ltd.

There is also a search facility in the Victorian Law Today at www.legislation.vic.gov.au.

7. How do I find out which Minister is responsible for an Act or Statutory Rule?

The Acts administered by a particular Minister are set out in the Administration of Acts - General Order which is made by the Premier from time to time. The latest Administration of Acts - General Order was signed by the Premier on 8 August 2007 and is available by consulting the Department of Premier and Cabinet home page (look under Guidlines and Procedures then General Orders and Supplements).

The Administration of Acts - General Order is altered from time to time by Supplementary Orders.

OCPC prepares a listing of Acts administered by each Minister together with additional legislative information - see Act Administrators and Administered Act Tables at Acts currently in force.

This information is also available in the Annual Cumulative Acts Tables (Volume 1) and the Interim Cumulative Acts Tables.

A Statutory Rule is the responsibility of the Minister who administers the Act under which the Statutory Rule was made.

To contact the relevant Minister or Department consult the Victorian Government Directory available from Information Victoria.

8. Where can I find information regarding copyright?

The Government Printer owns copyright in all Victorian legislation and publications printed with the authority of the Government Printer. Contact OCPC for copyright queries.