I am delighted to announce that the Law Commission has agreed a new funding and operating model with the Ministry of Justice. Under the new model, the Law Commission will no longer rely on income generation from Whitehall Departments to supplement its core funding from the Ministry of Justice. Instead, the Law Commission will now … Read more >
The Welsh Government has provided a Detailed Response to the Law Commission’s recommendations for improving planning law in Wales, stating that it accepts the great majority of the suggested reforms, and confirming that they will form an input into the major consolidation Bill that will hopefully form an important part of the legislative programme in … Read more >
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru bellach wedi cyhoeddi ymateb manwl i argymhellion Comisiwn y Gyfraith i wella cyfraith cynllunio yng Nghymru, gan gadarnhau eu bod yn derbyn y mwyafrif o’r diwygiadau ac eu bod yn bwriadu defnyddio’r argymhellion i lywio’r Bil cydgrynhoi cynhwysfawr. Mae gobeithion i’r Bil chwarae rhan flaenllaw yn rhaglen ddeddfwriaethol nesaf y Senedd. Cyhoeddwyd … Read more >
System of holding investments through a chain of financial institutions (“intermediated securities”) stops investors being able to exercise shareholder rights and can lead to legal uncertainty However, there are benefits of the system and the system should be improved rather than replaced Law Commission outlines potential reforms to improve the system, so it works better … Read more >
The Government has asked the Law Commission to investigate the laws around corporate criminal liability and provide options to reform them. Concerns have been raised over the effectiveness of current laws in criminalising corporate entities when they commit economic crime. Calls for reform have been revived following the mixed success of recent high-profile prosecutions. Without … Read more >
Independent economists undertake an assessment of the economic and other benefits flowing from the Law Commission’s law reform recommendations. The predicted economic gains from the five highest-value projects in recent years exceed more than £3 billion over ten years. The projects assessed have positively affected the lives of more than 27 million individuals in the … Read more >
The Law Commission was very sad to learn of the death of the Rt Hon Sir Roy Beldam, who served as the Chair of the Law Commission from 1985 – 89. Sir Roy was called to the Bar in 1950 and took Silk in 1969. He was appointed as a Recorder in 1972 and as … Read more >
Reforms that would reduce the number of unlawful search warrants being issued and help law enforcement to investigate crime and collect evidence (especially that stored electronically) have today [7 October 2020] been recommended by the Law Commission, the Government’s independent law reform body. A search warrant is a document issued by a magistrate or judge … Read more >
The Law Commission is making proposals to reform hate crime laws to remove the disparity in the way hate crime laws treat each protected characteristic – race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity. The Commission is also proposing that sex or gender be added to the protected characteristics for the first time. The proposals … Read more >
The Law Commission has begun work on two new projects to ensure that English law can accommodate two emerging technologies that could revolutionise commerce: smart contracts and digital assets. The Law Commission will analyse the law relating to smart contracts, to find any gaps in the law and identify reforms to ensure that the law … Read more >