Law Commission (England and Wales)

Law Commission

Comisiwm y Gyfraith
Law Commission logo
England and Wales within the UK and Europe
Established	1965 (1965)
Type	Advisory non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice
Legal status	Created by the Law Commissions Act 1965
Purpose	To keep the law of England and Wales under review and to recommend reform where needed
Headquarters	52 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9AG
Coordinates	51°30′01″N 0°08′03″W / 51.5003°N 0.1341°W / 51.5003; -0.1341Coordinates: 51°30′01″N 0°08′03″W / 51.5003°N 0.1341°W / 51.5003; -0.1341
Region served	England and Wales
Official languages	English and Welsh
Chairman	Lord Justice Bean
Chief Executive	Phil Golding
Slogan	"Reforming the law"
Website	www.lawcom.gov.uk

In England and Wales the Law Commission (Welsh: Comisiwm y Gyfraith) is an independent body set up by Parliament by the Law Commissions Act 1965 to keep the law of England and Wales under review and to recommend reforms. The organisation is headed by a Chairman (currently Sir David Bean, a judge of the Court of Appeal) and four Law Commissioners. It proposes changes to the law that will make the law simpler, more accessible, fairer, modern and more cost-effective. It consults widely on its proposals and in the light of the responses to public consultation, it presents recommendations to the UK Parliament that, if legislated upon, would implement its law reform recommendations.

In presenting its proposals, the Law Commission chooses an area of law to review after seeking the views of interested parties and taking into account whether it has the resources to do a thorough job of researching and reviewing the current law and producing recommendations that will receive the broadest possible measure of official and public acceptance. 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 and many other areas from time to time.

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. Consultations are due to begin on what should be included in the next programme, which will be the Commission’s twelfth programme since it was set up. When agreed, the twelfth programme will commence in 2014.