Law Commissions

 

In many countries, law commissions are created to draft and improve a country's legislation by enabling the passage of new laws through initial drafts and revisions that better reflect changes in society and a country's legal environment. In this manner, law commissions can contribute to greater transparency in the law making process. Law commissions may be formed at either the state, national or international levels. While their use and effectiveness has been demonstrated in many developed countries, they remain underutilized in many countries undergoing legal and judicial reform. The creation of a well functioning law commission often requires specific enabling legislation, careful selection of members, the establishment of effective support staff, a clear methodology, links with similar organizations around the world, and proper research tools and facilities. Given the important role that legal drafting and revision processes play with respect to supporting the rule of law, law commissions can be an important resource to be considered when strengthening a country's legal system.

International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy

This website contains extensive information about the Centre’s projects and events as well as access to publications and related links.

List of Law Reform Commissions Worldwide

The faculty of Law of Cambridge University maintains this list of websites for government law commissions worldwide. Current listings include Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, and the United States.

United Nations Law Commission

This website contains information on the Commission’s purpose, schedule of activities and reports. It is in English and French.

Overseas Law Reform Sources

This website includes links and contact information for law reform sources from around the world. It is maintained by the Australian Law Reform Commission.

Venice Commission

The European Commission for Democracy through Law, better known as the Venice Commission, has played a leading role in the adoption, in Eastern Europe, of constitutions that conform to the standards of Europe's constitutional heritage.

Australia

Australian Law Reform Commission

This website holds extensive information on current legal analysis, issue papers, reports, and the role of the Commission in law reform. The main focus is on Commonwealth laws and legal processes.

Links to Australian Law Reform Bodies Commission

This website is maintained by the National Women's Justice Coalition.

New South Wales Law Reform Commission

This website contains detailed description of law reform commission characteristics, roles, and functions in general, as well as step-by-step guidance on this Commission's approach to law reform, including community involvement in the process. The website also includes full text issue papers, reports, and detailed history.

Canada

British Columbia Law Institute

Full text reports and working papers on law reform in British Columbia, Canada, as well as information on the role of the Institute in law reform. (The British Columbia Law Institute replaced the British Columbia Law Reform Commission in 1997.)

Canadian Law Reform Commissions

This website includes contact information and links to law reform commissions in Canada.

 

Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong

The Commission considers for reform those aspects of the laws of Hong Kong which are referred to it by the Secretary for Justice or the Chief Justice. Members of the Commission are appointed by the Chief Executive, on the advice of the Secretary for Justice, and include academic and practicing lawyers, and prominent members of the community.

India

Law Commission of India

The Sixteenth Law Commission (2000-2003) exists to reform the law to maximize justice in society and promote good governance under the Rule of Law. The website contains historical and current materials on Indian law commission work and information on the Commission’s activities, including reports, consultation papers, and press releases. The website also includes information on how the Commission functions.

 

Ireland

Law Commission of Ireland

This independent statutory body corporate established under the Law Reform Commission Act of 1975, reviews and recommends reforms of the whole law of the state, international law, and matters of legal practice and procedure. The Commission: (1) draws up programs of law reform in consultation with the Attorney General, (2) acts on particular areas pursuant to request by the Attorney General, and (3) proposes minor reforms annually on its own initiative.

New Zealand

New Zealand Law Commission

This independent, government-funded organization reviews areas of the laws which need developing, updating, or reforming. It makes recommendations to Parliament and seeks to insure that New Zealand law reflects the needs of its rapidly changing society. It seeks to make the law just, principled, and accessible and to have it reflect the heritage and aspirations of the peoples of New Zealand.

 

South Africa

South African Law Commission

This website contains extensive access to the Commission’s working papers, reports and press releases.

 

United Kingdom

Law Commission for England and Wales

This website includes detailed information on current, past, and pending law reform projects, an on-line library of consultation papers and other reports and an in-depth explanation of the role of the Commission.

 

Office of Law Reform for Northern Ireland

This is the official website for Northern Ireland’s Office of Law Reform. It includes information on the purpose of the Office, how to access services and full text reports and discussion papers.

Scottish Law Commission

In-depth information about law reform projects as well as on-line access to discussion papers and publications are available on this website.

 

United States of America

The American Law Institute

This non-governmental organization was established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of laws and its better adaptation to social needs, to encourage the better administration of justice, and to carry on research and scientific work. The institute drafts, for consideration by its council and its members, and then publishes various Restatements of the Law, Model Codes, and other proposals for law reform.

 

California Law Revision Commission

The California Law Revision Commission, created in 1953, was given responsibility for the continuing substantive review of California statutory and decisional law. The Commission studies the law in order to discover defects and anachronisms and recommends legislation to make needed reforms.

Connecticut Law Revision Commission

The Connecticut Law Revision Commission conducts an ongoing review of Connecticut Law and recommends appropriate revisions to antiquated, unconstitutional and inequitable laws. The Commission assists the Judiciary Committee and other legislative and executive bodies on specific revision proposals and solicits the expertise of numerous state legal authorities in arriving at its consensus on recommendations.

 

National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws

Now, over 100 years old, the NCCUSL is comprised of 300 lawyers, judges and law professors appointed by the states to draft proposals for uniform and model laws in areas where uniformity is desirable and practicable and to seek their enactment in the state legislatures. Drafts of their current work are available on this website.

New Jersey Law Revision Commission

The New Jersey Law Revision Commission, established in 1985, revises the statutory law of New Jersey. The Commission consists of the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the chairman of the Assembly Judiciary, Law, Public Safety and Defense Committee, the Deans of Rutgers Law School, Newark; Rutgers Law School, Camden, and Seton Hall Law School, and four attorneys admitted to the practice of law in the State of New Jersey. The Commission conducts a continuous examination of the New Jersey statutes and relevant decision law, carries on scholarly legal research and considers the recommendations of learned institutions.

Oregon Law Commission

The Oregon Law Commission was created in 1997 by the Legislative Assembly to conduct a continuous program of law revision, reform and improvement. The Commission considers the laws of Oregon with a view to simplify or modernize the law by proposing new or more effective ways to administer the law, eliminating defects, and consolidating, codifying or revising the law.

 

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