New PDF Page Layout

A new PDF page layout of some frequently accessed Acts and regulations has been added to the Justice Laws Website (see below). This version illustrates modifications that have been made in recent years to modernize the page layout of the laws and to make them more readable and easier to consult.

The new layout has taken into consideration the basic principles of document design, which are applicable to all documents. The main characteristics of the new PDF page layout are the following:

See the main characteristics

  • The text is intentionally more spaced out to reduce eye strain and to permit the use of visual aids to facilitate the location of information. For example, the repetition of headings at the top of each page in the running headers permits the reader to quickly see the contents of the page as well as to easily put the text into context when reading.
  • The typography has been entirely revised: the size and type of the characters and the length of the lines have been modified in order to make the text easier to read. The number of characters on a line of text influences the speed of reading and the ease of comprehension: a line of text that is too short can slow reading and cause eye fatigue as the eye must move more often from one line to the next, whereas a line that is too long may cause the eye to skip to the next line. With respect to long texts, the ideal length of a line is between 50 and 70 characters. In the new page layout, the lines are on average 56 characters in length (versus 42 in the current PDF version).
  • The headings and subheadings are aligned at the left margin so that the reader is not required to zigzag between text at the left margin and the text in the centre of the column when looking for information.
  • Finally, the particular structure of the legislative texts is made more apparent by the use of bolding for the different headings and subheadings as well as the numbering of provisions (sections, subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, etc.). This provides markers that are easier to see and facilitates consultation of the texts and putting it into context.

You are invited to send us your comments with respect to this new layout by clicking here.

Acts

Regulations