Law Commission calls for proposed areas of reform for 12th programme

The Law Commission has called on public sector and other lawyers to put forward areas of the law that would benefit from reform.

A consultation on the law reform body’s 12th programme closes on 31 October.

The Law Commission said: “This consultation gives the opportunity to ask the Commission to take up projects that are legally complex and non-political, and which could make a lasting difference.”

It added that it would investigate problems that relate to the law and are:

• causing substantial unfairness;
• widely discriminatory or disproportionately costly;
• caused by laws or policies that are complex and hard to understand; or
• caused by laws or policies being out of step with modern standards.

Previous Law Commission projects include reviews of the law relating to rights to light, taxi and private hire vehicles, adult care, electoral law and contempt of court.

More information on the consultation can be found here.

When considering ideas the Law Commission will ask:

1. How important is it: to what extent is the law unsatisfactory?
2. What are the potential benefits of reform?
3. Is the independent, non-political Law Commission the most suitable body to conduct the project?
4. Are the necessary resources available?
5. Would the project require involvement from the Welsh Government and/or the Scottish or Northern Ireland Law Commissions?

Before it includes a project in its programme, the Law Commission must have confirmation from the relevant Government department that it has a ‘serious intention’ to take forward law reform.