PART    TWO:    HISTORY    OF    NEW    ZEALAND    LAW    REFORM MACHINERY PRIOR TO 1986   Summary 71.    Prior to 1986 responsibility for law reform in New Zealand rested primarily with the   Department   of   Justice,   with   the   assistance   of   a   number   of   part-time committees. The effectiveness of these committees varied over time, as did the needs of the New Zealand Parliament.    72.    Before  1937  no  formal  law  reform  mechanism  existed  in  New  Zealand,  and Parliament  was  reliant  on  enthusiastic  Members  introducing  Private  Members’ Bills.    In  1937  the  Law  Revision  Committee  was  established  to  consider  and report on matters relating to the administration of justice and reform of the law. 73.    While   the   Committee   recommended   many   much   needed   reforms,   it   was hampered  by  several  factors,  including  the  infrequency  of  meetings  and  the inadequacy of resources.  These two factors were related to the fact that members of the Committee served in a voluntary capacity. 74.    In   1965   the   Minister   of   Justice   and   Attorney-General,   Hon   J   R   Hanan restructured  the  Law  Revision  Committee  into  the  Law  Revision  Commission plus  four  Law  Reform  Committees.    The  Law  Revision  Commission  (later  to become   the   Law   Reform   Council)   and   the   subject-based   Law   Reform Committees  remained  in  place  until  1986  when  the  Law  Commission  was established.  The Legislation Advisory Committee was established at the same time with the intention that the Law Commission would play an important part in its deliberations.    75.    Throughout  this  time  other  methods  of  law  reform  were  also  used,  including Royal  Commissions,  ad  hoc  committees  and  reform  proposals  generated  in Government departments.