The Work of the British Law Commissions: Law Reform... Now?

Author:   Shona Wilson Stark (University of Cambridge)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN:  

9781509934645


Pages:   320
Publication Date:   28 November 2019
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
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The Work of the British Law Commissions: Law Reform... Now?


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Overview

The Law Commission (of England and Wales) and the Scottish Law Commission were both established in 1965 to promote the reform of the laws of their respective jurisdictions. Since then, they have each produced hundreds of reports across many areas of law. They are independent of government yet rely on governmental funding and governmental approval of their proposed projects. They also rely on both government and Parliament (and, occasionally, the courts or other bodies) to implement their proposals. This book examines the tension between independence and implementation and recommends how a balance can best be struck. It proposes how the Commissions should choose their projects given that their duties outweigh their resources, and how we should assess the success, or otherwise, of their output. Countries around the world have created law reform bodies in the Commissions’ image. They may wish to reflect on the GB Commissions’ responses to the changes and challenges they have faced to reappraise their own law reform machinery. Equally, the GB Commissions may seek inspiration from other commissions’ experiences. The world the GB Commissions inhabit now is very different from when they were established. They have evolved to remain relevant in the face of devolution, the UK’s changing relationship with the European Union, increasing pressure for accountability and decreasing funding. Further changes to secure the future of independent law reform are advanced in this book.

Full Product Details

Author:   Shona Wilson Stark (University of Cambridge)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Hart Publishing
Weight:   0.445kg
ISBN:  

9781509934645


ISBN 10:   1509934642
Pages:   320
Publication Date:   28 November 2019
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction I. Lifting the Law Reform Bonnet II. Beyond Great Britain III. Overview IV. Some Final Preliminaries 2. The Origins of the Law Commissions I. Pre-1965 II. How Soon is ‘Now’: Why 1965? III. Pressures for a Scottish Law Commission IV. The Law Commissions Act 1965 V. Consequent Issues 3. The Scope of Commission Activity I. The 1965 Act and Discretion II. The Need to Control and Facilitate the Exercise of Discretion III. Previous Deficiencies in the Control and Facilitation of the Commissions’ Exercise of Discretion IV. The Project-Selection Criteria V. Developing and Strengthening the Criteria VI. Conclusion: Clarifying and Securing the Scope of Commission Activity 4. The Extent of Implementation I. Preliminary Issues II. Reasons for Non-Implementation III. The Importance of Being Implemented IV. Attempts to Improve Implementation V. Conclusion: Quality Over Quantity 5. The Codification Task I. Definition of Codification II. Reasons for Tasking the Commissions with Codification III. Pre-Existing Obstacles to Codification IV. Developments Reducing the Need for Codification V. The Commissions’ Codification Track Records VI. Conclusion: Substance Over Style 6. From Harmonisation to Devolution and Brexit I. Collaborative Projects II. Individual Projects III. Devolution IV. Conclusion: Separate Commissions Working in Sync 7. Law Reform… Now? I. Servicing our Law Reform Machinery II. Proposed Amendments to the 1965 Act III. Final Remarks for Great Britain and Beyond

Reviews

...it is certainly a work which adds to the sum of knowledge in this important field. It should find a place on the shelves of academics who research the British legal system and share that learning with their students. -- Jonathan Teasdale * The Theory and Practice of Legislation * This new book is invaluable for undergraduates wishing to gain greater knowledge of both the Law Commission (of England and Wales) and the Scottish Law Commission which were established in 1965 to promote the reform of the laws of their respective jurisdictions. -- Elizabeth Taylor and Phillip Taylor MBE, Richmond Green Chambers Bringing together significant information about the nature and development of the Law Commissions, including insightful anecdotage from previous Chairs and members, this book cannot avoid being a useful contribution to the literature on law reform ... a book that brings together some significant and helpful discussion of the role of the Law Commissions and will be a helpful research tool in that context. -- Daniel Greenberg * Statute Law Review *


...it is certainly a work which adds to the sum of knowledge in this important field. It should find a place on the shelves of academics who research the British legal system and share that learning with their students. -- Jonathan Teasdale * The Theory and Practice of Legislation * This new book is invaluable for undergraduates wishing to gain greater knowledge of both the Law Commission (of England and Wales) and the Scottish Law Commission which were established in 1965 to promote the reform of the laws of their respective jurisdictions. -- Elizabeth Taylor and Phillip Taylor MBE, Richmond Green Chambers Bringing together significant information about the nature and development of the Law Commissions, including insightful anecdotage from previous Chairs and members, this book cannot avoid being a useful contribution to the literature on law reform ... a book that brings together some significant and helpful discussion of the role of the Law Commissions and will be a helpful research tool in that context. -- Daniel Greenberg * Statute Law Review * [A] well-researched, clear and extended analysis of the work of the Commissions. -- The Hon Justice Susan Kenny, Federal Court of Australia * Oxford Journal of Legal Studies *


Author Information

Shona Wilson Stark is Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Cambridge, and Fellow and College Lecturer in Law at Christ’s College, Cambridge.

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