A legislature is an officially elected assembly formed to make laws for a political unit such as a nation, a state or a local government. The genesis of legislatures traces back to the medieval period when “Althing” (a Nordic word for ‘general assembly’) was established in Iceland and a uniform code of laws was proclaimed. In more contemporary times, there are various types of legislative forms, including the two most common categories of legislatures — the presidential style systems featuring separation of powers and parliamentary-style systems featuring integration of powers

What is local legislation? Local legislation can be understood in two ways: as power and as a process. Local Legislation as power - Local legislation refers to the power of a local legislative body to make rules in the form of ordinances and resolutions of local application that have the force and effect of law. Local Legislation as a process - Local legislation is the interaction of the local legislative body with the executive branch, civil society including constituents, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector resulting in ordinances and resolutions that promote the development of a local government unit (LGU). The products or outputs of this interaction are ordinances and resolutions.

Why is local legislation important? Local legislation is important because it is a powerful, vital tool for: addressing the problems of the citizens of the LGU promoting the general welfare and development of the LGU and its citizens attaining the vision of the LGU for its citizens