International Foundation for Electoral Systems monitor compliance. For example, the United Nations Human Rights Committee monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Another example is the settling of disputes under the North American Free Trade Agreement by the World Trade Organization. How are they changed? Treaties are amended by the agreement of the signatories. Why do they have more authority than the form of law one step down? Treaties do not fit well into the hierarchy because they are trans-border agreements, not just within one nation, and have different impacts on the country’s law, depending on the treaty language and the way a country’s constitution manages them. Certain multilateral treaties, such as international human rights instruments, have acquired strong moral weight and widespread acceptance. The ranking of a treaty within a domestic legal framework depends entirely on its terms. Generally, treaties relate to national issues and relationships between or among countries in an international context. This means that, to make them effective, the national laws of the signatory countries must be, or be made to be, consistent with the treaty. Some treaties address subjects that fall under the authority of both national and sub-national governing institutions in some or all of the signatory countries. In these cases, the sub-national legislatures must also make their laws conform. Agricultural and environmental issues are relevant examples of this type of treaty subject. Statutes/Legislation What is the purpose of a statute? A statute is a law enacted by a legislature. Statutes are formal rules to govern behavior and transactions, protect individual rights and promote social policies. Statutes are the mechanism by which states define the rules necessary to maintain social order and security, and to promote economic and social interests. These statutes also give jurisdiction to those bodies responsible for enforcing the laws in practice. The statute law of a state develops over time as new laws are adopted and existing laws are amended or repealed. Some new statutes establish law in a new field. For example, there were few environmental laws 40 years ago, few laws governing cyber activity 20 years ago and few directed at terrorism 15 years ago. Who drafts statutes? Draft legislation may be presented to a legislative body by a government department, by a minister, legislative committee, an individual legislator, or group of legislators. Generally, the first stage is the development of a legislative policy. Then, the precise wording of a bill to carry out the policy is drafted by a professional legislative drafter, usually a lawyer. In some cases, the first draft as presented has been prepared by a politician, political staff or by special interests such as non-profit organizations, trade associations or lobbyists. Countries vary in their adherence to a standard drafting style, but standardization is a best practice, as it supports continuity, consistency and clarity, which ultimately helps facilitate implementation and interpretation of statutes. 8