law reform

• HoL + HoC + monarchy = act of parliament
• what are the 4 ways parliament can reform law?

  repeal, creation, consolidation, codification
• consolidation of law is when new legislation may be enacted to amend statutes and successful statutes of the same subject are brought together
• codification of law is when all the rules are brought together into one statute to increase certainty
• pressure groups are organisations that seek to influence the direction of law
• what are the two types of pressure groups?

  cause groups, interest groups
• what are cause groups?

  groups based on shared attitudes and values, membership open to all e.g. amnesty
• what are interest groups?

  groups that represent a section of society such as workers, trade unions, membership is limited, e.g. aslef, unison, the workers union
• letter writing, lobbying mps, organising petitions and getting media’s attention are all roles of pressure groups
• lobbyists- people who take part in an organised attempt to influence legistators
• law commission is the only full time law body that continues to go over law
• royal commission is temporary committees set up to investigate and report on one specific area of law
• what is public enquiry and a case?

  examine options for changing law as a result of some failing by the government or current law , inquiries act
• advantages of pressure groups?

  enhance democracy, make political parties more responsive to the public
• disadvantages of pressure groups?

  provide a one sided view, could be argued its undemocratic as not elected but can still influence the government
• public inquiries are set up as a response to a significant event for example the hillsbrough football stadium disaster
• royal commissions and public enquiries are both advisory committees