Law Reform Committee

The Law Reform Committee was a committee in England and Wales appointed by the Lord Chancellor[1] "to consider, having regard especially to judicial decisions, what changes are desirable in such legal doctrines as the Lord Chancellor may from time to time refer to Committee".[2]

The Lord Chancellor's decision to create this committee was announced on 2 May 1952 by the Attorney General, Lionel Heald, at the dinner of the West Surrey Law Society. The Solicitors Journal said that the proposed step was "overdue".[3] The Committee was appointed on 16 June 1952.[4] In 2006, John Wheeler said that the Committee was "defunct".[5]

Composition

Six members of the Committee were judges, two were Queen's Counsel, two were solicitors and the remaining three were professors of law.[6]

Reports

Implementation

Recommendations contained in the third report were implemented by the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957.[7]

The recommendations contained in the twelfth report had not been implemented by 2006.[8]

The recommendations made in the eighteenth report were given "partial and modified effect" by the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977.[9]

Recommendations contained in the nineteenth report were implemented by sections 20 and 21 of the Administration of Justice Act 1982.[10]

Recommendations contained in the twenty-first report were implemented by the Limitation Amendment Act 1980.[11]

Recommendations contained in the twenty-second report were implemented by section 17 of the Administration of Justice Act 1982.[12]

Recommendations contained in the twenty-fourth report were implemented by the Latent Damage Act 1986.[13]

See also

References

  1. The Solicitors Journal. Volume 96. Page 418. Published in No 26 dated 28 June 1952.
  2. Law Reform Committee. Third Report (Occupiers' Liability to Invitees, Licensees and Trespassers). Cmd 9305. HMSO. London. November 1954. Page 5.
  3. The Solicitors Journal. Volume 96. Page 285. Published in No 19 dated 10 May 1952.
  4. Law Reform Committee. Third Report (Occupiers' Liability to Invitees, Licensees and Trespassers). Cmd 9305. HMSO. London. November 1954. Page 5.
  5. John Wheeler. Essentials of the English Legal System. Pearson Education. 31 December 2006. Page 349 from Google Books.
  6. John Wheeler. Essentials of the English Legal System. Pearson Education. 31 December 2006. Page 349
  7. Andrew Tettenborn. Clerk & Lindsell on Torts. Sixteenth Edition. Sweet & Maxwell. London. 1989. Paragraph 13-02 at page 708.
  8. John Wheeler. Essentials of the English Legal System. Pearson Education. 31 December 2006. Page 349
  9. Clerk & Lindsell on Torts. Sixteenth Edition. Sweet & Maxwell. London. 1989. Paragraphs 22-08 and 22-09 at page 1224
  10. Sir Robert Megarry and Sir William Wade and Charles Harpum and Stuart Bridge and Martin Dixon. The Law of Real Property. Seventh Edition. Sweet & Maxwell. London. 2008. Note 312 and 316 to paragraph 14-064 at page 580 and note 326 to paragraph 14-067 at page 581.
  11. Sir Robert Megarry and Sir William Wade and Charles Harpum and Stuart Bridge and Martin Dixon. The Law of Real Property. Seventh Edition. Sweet & Maxwell. London. 2008. Note 31 to paragraph 35-003 at page 1412.
  12. Sir Robert Megarry and Sir William Wade and Charles Harpum and Stuart Bridge and Martin Dixon. The Law of Real Property. Seventh Edition. Sweet & Maxwell. London. 2008. Note 72 to paragraph 14-015 at page 559.
  13. Andrew S Burrows. Clerk & Lindsell on Torts. Sixteenth Edition. Sweet & Maxwell. London. 1989. Note 49 to paragraph 9-55 at page 418.