Law Reform Commission (Ireland)

The Law Reform Commission (Irish: Coimisiún um Athchóiriú an Dlí; also called the Law Reform Commission of Ireland) is law commission which was established in 1975 to examine the law of the Republic of Ireland.

Activities

The Commission was established on 20 October 1975 under the Law Reform Commission Act 1975.^[1] It is an independent body which examines areas of the law and proposes reforms or changes.

According to its website, 70% of its proposals have resulted in the enactment of legislation effecting reforms. The website says that the Commission is currently engaged in its Fifth Programme of Law Reform including the Statute Law Revision Programme.^[2]

Members

As of April 2025^[update], the members of the Commission are:^[3]

• Frank Clarke, president of the Commission, former Chief Justice of Ireland
• Richard Barrett, former Deputy Director General of the Office of the Attorney General
• Maurice Collins, judge of the Supreme Court
• Dr Andrea Mulligan
• Supreme Court of Ireland, judge of the High Court

Functions

Section 4(1) of the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 provides:^[4]

The Commission shall keep the law under review and in accordance with the provisions of this Act shall undertake examinations and conduct research with a view to reforming the law and formulate proposals for law reform.

By section 1,^[5]

• "the law" means the law of the State (including any private or public international law) and includes matters of legal practice or procedure, and "law" must be construed accordingly
• "reform" includes, in relation to the law or a branch of the law, its development, its codification (including in particular its simplification and modernisation) and the revision and consolidation of statute law, and kindred words must be construed accordingly.

See also

• Northern Ireland Law Commission

References

1. Law Reform Commission (Establishment Day) Order 1975 (S.I. No. 214 of 1975). Signed on 19 September 1975. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
2. "Welcome". Law Reform Commission.
3. "Commissioners". Law Reform Commission.
4. Law Reform Commission Act 1975, s. 4: Functions of Commission (No. 3 of 1975, s. 4). Enacted on 16 April 1975. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
5. Law Reform Commission Act 1975, s. 1: Interpretation (No. 3 of 1975, s. 1). Enacted on 16 April 1975. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.

External links

• Official website