Catalogue description Records of the Law Commission

The Law Commission was set up under the Law Commissions Act 1965 for the purpose of promoting the reform of the law. The Commission consists of a chairman and four other commissioners appointed by the Lord Chancellor. In addition to its full-time staff it is assisted by a number of experts in the practising and academic branches of the professions who are invited to help the Commission on particular projects.

The functions of the Commission are to keep under review the law (other than the law of Scotland or of Northern Ireland) with a view to its systematic development and reform. The Law Commission receives and considers law reform proposals made or referred to them by organisations and individuals, or by the government, and produce working papers which are circulated for comment. After analysis of these comments, reports are produced and submitted to Parliament, sometimes accompanied by draft bills. The Commission makes proposals to the Lord Chancellor for the examination of different branches of the law and for its revision where it is unsuited to modern requirements, obscure, or otherwise unsatisfactory. The Commission also took over from the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel responsibility for the consolidation of existing acts and statute law revision. It is also concerned with the study of foreign legal systems which may be helpful in carrying out its functions.

Matters relating to Scotland are dealt with by a Scottish Law Commission, which was also set up under the same Act. On issues of common concern the commissions report jointly.