Law Commission (England and Wales)

Activities

The Law Commissions Act 1965 requires the Law Commission to submit "programmes for the examination of different branches of the law" to the Lord Chancellor for his approval before undertaking new work.

Every three or four years the Law Commission consults widely, asking for suggestions for projects to include in these programmes.

Decisions about whether to include a project are based on:

• the strength of the need for law reform
• the importance of the issues it will cover
• the availability of resources in terms of both expertise and funding
• whether the project is suitable to be dealt with by the independent Commission.

The Law Commission can also take on additional projects that are referred directly by Government departments.

At any one time, around 15 to 20 areas of law will be under review. Law Commission projects cover a wide range of subjects that belong to the criminal law, property law, family and trust law, public law, commercial law.

The Law Commission has a rolling programme of law reform projects, and every three years or so it consults on any new projects that should be added to the list of those that it already has under way. In December 2017 it published its 13th Programme of Law Reform.

Approximately 70% of the Law Commission's law reform recommendations have been enacted or accepted by government. The Law Commission Act 2009 applies.

Current commissioners

The current commissioners are:

• Peter Fraser (chair)
• Prof Alison Young
• Prof Lisa Webley
• Prof Penney Lewis
• Prof Solène Rowan

Chairs

The chair of the Law Commission is usually a High Court judge. Chairs are often promoted to the Court of Appeal. Until 2008, promotion would occur soon after or shortly before the end of their term as chair, with one exception: Samuel Cooke (whose term as chair ended with his death in 1978).

• Leslie Scarman (1965–1973)
• Samuel Cooke (1973–1978)
• Michael Kerr (1978–1981)
• Ralph Gibson (1981–1985)
• Roy Beldam (1985–1989)
• Peter Gibson (1990–1992)
• Henry Brooke (1993–1995)
• Mary Arden (1996–1999)
• Robert Carnwath (1999–2002)
• Roger Toulson (2002–2006)
• Terence Etherton (2006–2009)
• James Munby (2009–2012)
• David Lloyd Jones (2012–2015)
• David Bean (2015–2018)
• Nicholas Green (2018–2023)
• Peter Fraser (2023–present)

References

References

1. {{cite legislation UK. (1965)
2. (14 December 2017). "14 new areas of law set for reform – Law Commission {{!}} Law Commission".
3. "Annual reports {{!}} Law Commission".
4. Neil Parpworth. "Law Commission Act 2009". Current Law Statutes Annotated 2009. Sweet & Maxwell. Thomson Reuters. 2010. Volume 1. Chapter 14. pp [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780414041868_1/page/n1766/mode/1up 14-1] to 14-6.
5. "Law Commission Act 2009". Halsbury's Statutes of England and Wales. Fourth Edition. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tjBLAQAAIAAJ Current Statutes Service].
6. "Our structure {{!}} Law Commission".
7. "Senior Judiciary". Judiciary of England and Wales.
8. Professor Graham Zellick. (14 May 1986). "The Legislative Implementation of Law Reform Proposals". F A R Bennion.
9. (23 April 2002). "Obituary - Sir Michael Kerr". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
10. (5 November 2003). "Obituary - Sir Ralph Gibson". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
11. "Roy Beldam". Crown Office Chambers.
12. "MI5 - Intelligence Services Commissioner". [[MI5]].
13. "Sir Henry Brooke". Fountain Court.
14. (20 March 2009). "Court of Appeal Civil Division". HM Courts Service.
15. (7 July 2008). "Honorary Graduates - Sir Roger Toulson, Doctor of Laws". University of Bradford.
16. (25 July 2006). "Terence Etherton to Chair Law Commission". legalday.com.
17. (3 August 2009). "New chair of Law Commission appointed by Lord Chancellor". Ministry of Justice.
18. (26 July 2012). "Appointment of Lord Justices of Appeal". Number10.gov.uk.
19. (27 March 2015). "Appointment of Lord Justices of Appeal". lawcom.gov.uk.