j. A comprehensive index and a summary index covering the Constitution
and statutes of the state of Iowa.
7. The Code Supplement published after the first regular session of the general
assembly shall include:
a. All of the statutes of Iowa of a general and permanent nature which were
enacted or amended during that session, except as provided in subsection 3,
and an indication of all sections repealed during that session, and any
amendments to the Constitution of the State of Iowa approved by the voters
at the preceding general election.
b. A chapter title and number for each chapter or part of a chapter included.
c. An index covering the material included.
8. A Code or Code Supplement may include appropriate tables showing the
disposition of Acts of the general assembly and other reference material as
determined by the Iowa Code editor in accordance with policies of the legislative
council.
[C97, p. 5; S13, p. 3; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 168; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73,
75, 77, 79, 81, § 14.12; 82 Acts, ch 1061, § 2--4]
91 Acts, ch 258, §12
C93, § 2B.12
94 Acts, ch 1107, § 19
49
A number of editorial powers and duties are set out in the law as well. What this
means in practice is that, every two years, the entire statute law of the State of
Iowa is reprinted. The 2003 Code amounts to four thick volumes of about 1500
pages each.
50
What I am trying to demonstrate here is that a modern method exists of providing
the law in an accessible form and systematic manner, without the need to go
through the session laws as they were passed by the Iowa legislature. The session
laws of Iowa are drafted in such a way as to amend, add or subtract from the
Code, accepting its pattern of organisation. It is the arrangements of these laws
and the indexing that is the key to this accessibility.
51
With modern technology, such a process should not be impossible in New
Zealand. In my view, it needs to be seriously considered.24
24
This suggestion is not new. I first put it forward in 1979, Geoffrey Palmer Unbridled Power
(Oxford University Press, Wellington, 1979) 82.
18
