Issues with formatting Directions (DHSC)

Issue Background

Drafters in DHSC frequently want to draft Directions using Lawmaker, using 'Statutory Instrument' type projects. Previously these were drafted using the S.I. template.

However, Directions have different formatting to Statutory Instruments. For example:

1. The banner at the top of the document reads DIRECTIONS, not STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS.

2. Directions have no S.I. number or Dates of being Made, Laid or Coming into Force.

3. Various differences in formatting in the body of the document.

It is possible to work around issues 1. and 2. by editing the XML, but this requires some specialist knowledge of Lawmaker and XML documents that drafters typically don’t have. So drafters have frequently been contacting the Lawmaker service portal to request these changes be made.

Issue 3. is more complex and is being investigated.

Workaround

When you have created a Directions project, before you begin drafting:

1. (First time: download the document Directions - template XML document.xml, provided on this page under Download Template, and save it somewhere convenient)

2. From the Project page, go to the ‘Document Actions’ menu and select ‘Upload document’

3. In the window that appears, choose a folder and title and then ‘Choose file’

4. Select Directions - template XML document.xml and open / double-click

5. Click Upload

This should create a new template document which has the correct banner, and doesn’t have a Number or Dates.

Download Template:

Directions - template XML document.xml

Next Steps

We hope to add proper functionality to Lawmaker that will allow users to draft Directions without having to use this workaround.

Regarding specific issues with formatting the body of Directions - we are still looking into how this can be improved. Potentially, the new List functionality of Lawmaker version 20.0 (allowing for drafting more complex Lists) will allow Directions drafters to insert the desired content without requiring awkward workarounds.