They are drafted by lawyers and officials of the Department for Transport (DfT), in some cases go through a public consultation period (see Ships and Cargoes/Consultations on the MCA website), are laid before Parliament for approval, get the consent of both Houses of Parliament, and come into force on a specified date. Fragment–>Statutory Instruments (SIs) made under Acts of Parliament, consisting mainly of Regulations, e. g. The Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2002, but also including Rules and Orders, e. g. The Formal Investigation Rules 1985, and The Ministry of Defence Ships Order 1989. Byelaws (including harbour byelaws) are another type of secondary legislation.
How are Statutory Instruments (SIs) relating to merchant shipping produced and given legal force?
