15
Appointments
52. Appointments to the Commission need to be considered carefully. There should
be a Commissioner with a good knowledge of the Government policy-
generating processes, the legislative process and Government administration
generally.
53. Difficulties are created when Commissioners leave with projects uncompleted.
This means that new Commissioners inherit the projects; sometimes they have
little sympathy with them or little background in them. Greater consideration
needs to be given to ensuring Commissioners see their projects through to
completion. This needs to be considered carefully at the time appointments are
being made.
54. It is recommended that more care be given to appointments and matching them
up with the Commissions work progr amme or likely work programme.
Consideration should also be given to making some appointments project
specific, particularly for practising lawyers who cannot leave their practices for
a lengthy term. Where that occurs, the project must be completed before the
Commissioners time expires.
55. The Law Commission lacks expertise in policy analysis and economic analysis,
both of which are important to the development of modern legislative reform.
Such analysis is particularly important for projects with a social policy content.
Steps should be taken to remedy these deficiencies. It is recommended that the
Law Commission bring greater interdisciplinary expertise to its deliberations
than it has done so far. One Commissioner should come from a discipline
outside the law. Some of the Commission s researchers should come from other
disciplines as well.
56. Overall, the make-up of the Law Commission should be balanced. Academic
lawyers should be appointed to the Commission on a regular basis. There should
usually be a Commissioner of Maori descent.
57. When the President is a Judge, he or she should not sit in the Courts to any
significant extent. The President of the Law Commission needs to be full-time.