Project status: Complete
We published a report on Offences against Religion and Public Worship (LC145) in 1985. The principal recommendation of this report made its way on to the statute book after 23 years. The repeal of blasphemy and blasphemous libel, as recommended, was effected by section 79 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, which came into … Read more >
Project status: Complete
This project considered the full range of structural options for a scheme of bribery offences. It took into account the issues and views that have emerged since the introduction of the draft Government’s draft Corruption Bill in 2003. The review compared the law of England and Wales with the law operating in other jurisdictions and took into account … Read more >
Project status: Complete
This project published recommended changes in the law governing criminal responsibility for the non-accidental death or serious injury of children. The report includes a draft Bill.
Project status: Complete
When a person is killed through the fault of another, family members and some other persons are able to claim compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 for losses they suffer as a result of the death. This project reviewed the availability of compensation in such cases. Our aim was to bring this area of the … Read more >
Project status: Pre-project
In the 10th Programme, the Commission embarked on a programme of simplification of the criminal law, criminal evidence and procedure. Simplification involves: giving the law a clearer structure; using more modern terminology; making the law in a given area more consistent with other closely allied areas of law; making the law readily comprehensible to non lawyers … Read more >
Project status: Complete
In this project we focus on the financial hardship suffered by cohabitants or their children on the termination of their relationship by separation or death. We concentrated in particular on the following issues: Whether cohabitants should have access to any remedies providing periodical payments, lump sums, or transfers of property from one party to the … Read more >
Project status: Complete
We published a discussion paper on 23 July 2013 with our provisional proposals for reform of the defences of insanity and automatism, based on lack of capacity. Work in this area is paused for the moment. When should a person not be criminally liable because of their mental condition at the time they committed an … Read more >
Project status: Complete
This project considered ways of clarifying and simplifying the rules governing the treatment of trust receipts and outgoings as capital or income, and options for reducing the limitations preventing trustees who have to distinguish between income and capital from investing on a “total return” basis. In particular, the project was concerned with the implications of … Read more >
Project status: Complete
This project, which arises out of our previous work on housing law reform and tribunals, aimed to identify and address regulatory challenges in the private rented sector. It was the first project we undertook jointly with the Welsh Assembly Government. (Housing is a policy area devolved to the National Assembly for Wales.) In this project we were not … Read more >
Project status: Complete
The aim of this project was to reform the law governing the criminal liability of those who encourage or assist others to commit offences. Our first report, Inchoate Liability for Assisting and Encouraging Crime, was published on 11 July 2006. The recommendations were reflected in Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007. Our second, and final, … Read more >