In the years before the enactment of the Statutes Drafting and Compilation Act 1920,[2] the role of Law Draftsman was housed within several different offices.

It also ensured that PCO staff, aside from principal officers, were appointed by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, within maximum numbers set by the Attorney-General.

[11] NZLC R107 pages 30–33[3] has a more detailed Parliamentary Counsel Office history.

The Parliamentary Counsel Office is an executive agency of the New Zealand Parliament[12] and is under the control of the Attorney-General.

[15] The PCO is responsible for supplying printed copies of Bills and Supplementary Order Papers (SOPs) to the House.