Law Reform Commission of New South Wales - History

History

There has been a history of law reform in common law countries such as Australia. Prior to the establishment of the commission, various parliamentary inquiries, ad-hoc commissions (such as Commissioner’s Bigg report into the New South Wales legal system in 1820), or panels had advised on law reform. The commission was the first permanent body established in Australia to continually conduct and investigate law reform. It’s establishment is important as it was an independent body that could devote its deliberations full-time to examining law reform in the state The first real law reform commission in the state was one set up in 1870 by the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and set up by letters patent of 14 July 1870. The commission consisted of the five lawyers and the Chief Justice of New South Wales, Sir Alfred Stephen. This Commission prepared a draft bill to simplify equity procedure and indicated the need for consolidation and reform of lunacy, insolvency and jury laws. Its only success came long after the body lapsed with the eventual enactment of part of its proposed Criminal Law Consolidation and Amendment Bill in the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1883.