Legislative process and socio-economic changes in Tanzania

Legislation has multiple roles in a society, regulating relations in social, political, economical and religious relations through various remedies. Societies on the other hand are forever changing, more so with discovery of new technologies which simplify relations and ease integration. The legislative process has to be sufficiently equipped to tackle the task of keeping up with the socioeconomic developments of the society. Socio-economic developments and the resulting implications have impacted Tanzania as there have been increased interrelations between societies in the country and between countries. Despite these rapid developments, Tanzania does have a slow pace in review of its legislation. In the circumstances, legislation is not reflective of the socio-economic conditions on the ground and has become ineffective. This work explores the interrelation between socio-economic factors and legislation process in Tanzania, specifically discussing the role of the Parliament of Tanzania and its ancillary institutions. It calls for an immediate move to encourage participation of the public and members of Parliament in proposing and submitting legislative proposals by providing recommendations drawn from the society as well as from other jurisdictions.