A law commission, law reform commission, or law revision commission is an independent body set up by a government to conduct

law reform Law reform or legal reform is the process of examining existing laws, and advocating and implementing change in a legal system, usually with the aim of enhancing justice or efficiency. Intimately related are law reform bodies or Law Commission, ...

; that is, to consider the state of laws in a

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' and 'speech' or 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, the concept of jurisdiction applies at multiple level ...

and make recommendations or proposals for legal changes or restructuring. The first term is prevalent in the United Kingdom, the second is prevalent in the Commonwealth, and the third one is prevalent in the United States.

Work

The functions of a law commission body include drafting revised versions of confusing laws, preparing consolidated versions of laws, making recommendations on updating outdated laws and making recommendations on repealing obsolete or spent laws. Law commissions often undertake projects focusing on legislation, although their mandates may be narrower or broader.

List of law commissions

*: Australian Law Reform Commission **

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

: New South Wales Law Reform Commission ** Victoria: Victorian Law Reform Commission **

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

: Law Reform Commission of Western Australia **

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

: Tasmania Law Reform Institute *: Law Commission of Bangladesh *: the Law Commission of Canada was established by the Law Commission of Canada Act on July 1, 1997 and was eliminated in 2006. It replaced the Law Reform Commission of Canada, which was created in 1971 and was dissolved in 1993 by the Mulroney government. On September 25, 2006, funding to the Commission was eliminated by the Harper government. **:

Alberta Law Reform Institute Alberta is a province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, the Northwest Territories to its north, and the U.S. sta ...

**: British Columbia Law Institute, formed to replace the British Columbia Law Reform Commission, which had been disbanded due to lack of funding **: Manitoba Law Reform Commission **: Law Reform Commission of Nova Scotia **: Law Commission of Ontario **: Institut québécois de réforme du droit et de la justice **: – Law Reform Commission of Saskatchewan * Republic of Cuba: Advisory Law Commission of Cuba (1906 – 1909), established by the Provisional Government of Cuba to reform Spanish imperial law in Cuba *: Fiji Law Reform Commission *: Samoa Law Reform Commission, established under the

Law Reform Commission Act 2008 Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

*: Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong, established in 1980 *: Law Commission of India *: The Law Reform Commission, established under the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 *
Jersey Law Commission
established by the

States of Jersey The States Assembly (; Jèrriais: ) is the parliament of Jersey, formed of the island's 37 deputies and the Connétable (Jersey and Guernsey), Connétable of each of the Parishes of Jersey, twelve parishes. The origins of the legislature of ...

in 1996 *: Law Reform Commission of Mauritius established by the Law Reform Commission Act No. 26 of 2005 *: Nepal Law Commission established by the Nepal Law Commissions Act 2007 *: New Zealand Law Commission established by the Law Commission Act 1985 *: Nigerian Law Reform Commission *: South African Law Reform Commission *: Uganda Law Reform Commission, established by Article 248 of the Ugandan Constitution * **

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the Law of the United Kingdom#Legal jurisdictions, three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Th ...

: The

Law Commission A law commission, law reform commission, or law revision commission is an independent body set up by a government to conduct law reform; that is, to consider the state of laws in a jurisdiction and make recommendations or proposals for legal chang ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

: the Scottish Law Commission, established by the Law Commissions Act 1965 at the same time as the Law Commission in England and Wales **

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

, the Northern Ireland Law Commission (formerly the Law Reform Advisory Committee) was established in 2007, but has been "non-operational" since 2015. **Other bodies concerned with law reform in the United Kingdom included the Law Revision Committee (1934 to 1939) and the Law Reform Committee (1952 - ) The Solicitors Journal. 1952. Volume 96. Page 285. *:

Office of the Law Revision Counsel The Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the United States House of Representatives prepares and publishes the United States Code, which is a consolidation and codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States ...

of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

: California Law Revision Commission ** New York: New York Law Revision Commission **

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

: New Jersey Law Revision Commission

References

{{Reflist

External links

Scottish Law CommissionLaw Commission of CanadaBritish Columbia Law InstituteLaw Reform Commission of SaskatchewanCalifornia Law Revision CommissionLaw Commission of OntarioLaw Reform Commission of MauritiusNepal Law CommissionSouth Africa Law Reform CommissionLaw Commission of Bangladesh
Law reform

Work

List of law commissions

See also

References

External links