Training Module: Inserting quoted structures and quoted text

This module will help you understand how quoted structures are used to recreate inserted text in bills and amendments. There are some key learning points to understand which explain why quoted structures must be used in certain ways to achieve the amendments you wish to create.

1 Introduction
2 Exercises

Introduction

Quoted structures

Quoted Text

Exercises

Getting Started

Before you can draft a bill, you will need to create your own training project containing a half finished bill to continue drafting.
If you haven’t got one already, create a project containing a half finished bill:
The following steps will allow you to create the data required for this exercise.

Download the XML document for the exercise by clicking on the link you’ve been provided with. By default, the downloaded file is usually placed in the “downloads” folder on your computer.
Log in to Lawmaker.
From the Dashboard, create a new project of the type you need for the exercise. Give it a title such as [Your Initials] Drafting a bill. (See Creating a new project.)
From the Project tab for that project, select Document Actions > Upload document, and select the XML file for the exercise which you have downloaded. It can be uploaded into the default folder that has been created in the project. (See Create a new document by uploading an XML file.)
On the newly uploaded document version, select Actions > Update Document Information and update the Title to match the title you originally gave the project.
Duplicate this document version using Actions > Duplicate version and call the new version the name of this module. We will create a new document version per module.
Open the duplicated version in the Editor

Exercise 1: Insert a basic quoted structure

This exercise will help you understand when and why num locks are used and how to insert and remove them. They can be used anywhere in the document but are particularly relevant in the context of quoted structures when the starting provisions often doesn’t start at the beginning of a series.

If you haven’t already done so, duplicate the imported bill version and name it the description of this module so you can easily track work related to these exercises. Open this document in the Editor. When the Editor has finished loading, recreate the following simple quoted structure in section 3(2)—

Place your cursor in section 3(1) and click Enter to view the insert menu
Select Subsection (1) and type into the empty ‘Text’ element In section 20 (performance in meetings), after paragraph (b) insert—
Click Enter to view the insert menu and select Quoted structure
In the Update Quoted Structure dialog box, leave the default document type as Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly and select Paragraph (a) from the starting element dropdown menu. Leave the Indent Level, Start quote and End quote unchanged and add a full-stop to the Following text field
Place your cursor into the empty num element containing the parentheses and type ba. This num has a box around it with a dotted border indicating the num has been locked.
Type that the operation by the council of the proposed arrangements would be an improvement on the arrangements which the council has in place for the discharge of its functions at the time that the proposal is made to the Department; into the first paragraph
Insert another paragraph and type that the operation by the council of the proposed arrangements would be likely to ensure that the decisions of the council are taken in an efficient, transparent and accountable way; and
Insert another paragraph and type that the arrangements, if prescribed under this section, would be appropriate for all councils to consider.
Save your changes when complete

Exercise 2: Insert an adjacent quoted structure

Adjacent quoted structures are used when a provision needs to be inserted but it is at a higher level than the starting provision in the original quoted structure. This is because Lawmaker relies on context to know what valid provisions can be inserted next and without that context, it cannot provide a list of valid provisions. To get around this, you must insert an adjacent quoted structure.

Recreate the following quoted structure (continuing from Exercise 1)

Step 1: insert an adjacent quoted structure

With your cursor inside the third paragraph, click Enter to view the insert menu. Subsection (1) is not listed in the list of valid elements that can be inserted. To insert a subsection next you will need to insert an adjacent quoted structure and select Subsection (1) as the starting element in this quoted structure

With your cursor inside the first quoted structure, right-click and select Insert Adjacent Quoted Structure
Leave the document type unchanged, select Subsection (1) as the starting element, leave the indent level unchanged but change Start quote to None and add a full-stop in the Following text field.
Type A council may propose to the Department that the Department make regulations prescribing arrangements specified in the proposal if the council considers that the conditions in subsection (6) are met. into the empty ‘Text’ element
Type 5A into the empty num element

Step 2: update the quoted structure properties of the first quoted structure

The start and end quotes and following text situation aren’t correct for the overall inserted text (which includes the adjacent quoted structure) so you will need to update the quoted structure properties of the first quoted structure

Place your cursor anywhere inside the first quoted structure and right-click, selecting Update Quoted Structure Properties
Change the End quote to None and remove the full-stop from the Following text field
Ignore the mandatory document check error warning about the lack of an end quote on the first quoted structure

You can generate a PDF of section 3 to reassure yourself that the adjacent quoted structure merges undetected with the original quoted structure when printed.
You can continue adding further quoted structures if you need to insert a higher-level provision again.

Exercise 3: Insert quoted text

When drafting a textual amendment that only involves a word or a phrase (i.e. does not involve inserting or substituting a whole provision), you should use the Quoted Text element in Lawmaker to represent the text that is being left out, inserted or substituted, rather than simply surrounding the text with quote marks.

Recreate the following quoted text example

Step 1: update the existing substitute text to use the Quoted Text elements

Delete the existing substitute text within quoted structure and insert a Quoted text element and retype the missing content.

In section 6, cut the text the Department of the Environment leaving behind the quote marks which can be deleted
After “for” leave a space and then click Enter and select Quoted text from the insert menu
In the empty Quoted text element, use keyboard shortcut CTRL+V to paste the cut text
Repeat these steps for the text in substitute the Department for Communities

Step 2: insert a new subsection with Quoted Text elements

Insert Quoted text element into your provision as you type.

Exercise 4: Adjust a quoted structure’s indent

In most cases you can leave the indent level to the default set which indents the whole quoted structure the equivalent of one indent to indicate that the provisions are inserted text. In some scenarios, you might need to increase the indent e.g. you are inserting paragraphs for a definition; or you are inserting a table which is large and would benefit from being the full width of the page.

Recreate the following quoted structure, using the indent level to adjust the indent of the paragraphs to match where they were inserted.

Step 1: Insert quoted text

After section 3(1) insert another new subsection and at the end insert Quoted text.

Step 2: Update the quoted text properties

Update the Quoted text properties to remove the end quote due to running straight into a quoted structure.

Step 3: Insert the quoted structure and update the indent level

Insert the quoted structure containing the definition’s paragraphs.

Exercise 5: Lock nums and renumber

Whenever a numbered provision is inserted as the starting element in a quoted structure, the num is always locked as it is common for inserted text to start halfway through a numbered series. If you were to renumber your quoted structure without locked nums, the starting provision’s num would reset to the start of the series. This is why the start provision’s num is always locked.

Recreate the following quoted structure—

Step 1: Insert a quoted structure containing a cross heading as the starting element

Insert a quoted structure into a subsection inserted after section 3(1)

Step 2: Renumber the quoted structure

Renumber the quoted structure when there are no locked nums to see how numbering is affected

Step 3: Assign a num lock to the section num

Assign a lock to the section num, update the numbers and renumber the quoted structure again to see how num locks prevent unintended consequences

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