Law Comission

• Law Commission Act 1965 (LCA '65)


  set up a full-time statutory body for England and Wales to advise the government
• The Law Commission consists of a chairman and four other comissioners
• Chairman of LC


  a high court judge
• commissioners


  assisted by legally trained staff and parliamentary draftsmen
• S.3 of the Law Commissions Act 1965


  requires the commission to keep all areas of law under review
• Law Commission aim


  keep the law fair, modern and simple by the way of consolidation and codification
• influence on Parliament


  researching an area of law which is need of reform and then publish a consultation paper setting out the present law, the problems with it and an proposal for change
• consultation paper


  may include an explanation of the law in other countries
• aim of consultation paper


  gather as many view as possible from interested parties by circulating it to all interested individuals, oraganisations and to the media.
• Law Reform (Year and a Day Rule) Act 1996


  abolished the rule that if a victim of a crime died after a year and a day the defendant could not be prosecuted
• Contract (Rights to Third Parties) Act 1999


  allows third parties to claim under a contract made for their benefit
• Law Commissions Intoxication and Criminal Liability Report 2010


  aimed to remove the distinction between basic and specific intent crimes to instead provide a list of states of mind for self-induced intoxication. The government rejected this as they were not persuaded the forms would deliver improvement to the administration of justice.