21 The Law Revision Committee 80.    In  1934  a  Law  Revision  Committee  was  established  in  England  under  the Chairmanship of Lord Hanworth.  Given the strong link which remained between New  Zealand  and  England  this  development  had  a  powerful  influence  on  the local legal profession, which agitated for a similar committee to be established in New Zealand.  The idea was wholeheartedly supported by the new Minister of Justice and Attorney General, the Hon Mr H G R Mason who established a New Zealand Law Revision Committee (“LR Committee”), although the membership and  scope  of  the  Committee  were  very  different  to  the  English  Law  Revision Committee. 81.    The  LR  Committee  had  no  formal  constitution  or  order  of  reference  and  was unrestricted  in  its  scope.    The  inaugural  meeting,  held  in  August  1937,  was attended  on  the  invitation  of  the  Attorney-General  by  the  Chief  Justice,  the Solicitor-General,  two  representatives  appointed  by  the  New  Zealand  Law Society, one representative from the public teachers of law from the law faculty of  the  University  of  New  Zealand,  the  Under-Secretary  of  Justice  and  the Parliamentary Law Draftsman.   82.    The membership of the LR Committee was decided by the Minister of Justice, who  also  chaired  the  Committee.    The  Chief  Justice  thought  that  as  he  was  a judge  he  should  not  take  part  in  the  LR  Committee’s  actual  deliberation  and discussions, though he offered his services in an advisory capacity if required.⁸ 83.    The Department of Justice provided the secretarial support to the LR Committee, co-ordinated  matters  to  be  considered  and  was  the  link  between  the  LR Committee and Parliament. 84.    The  LR  Committee  met  two  to  three  times  a  year  to  consider  proposals  for legislative change.  The proposals came from several sources but chiefly from the LR Committee members, the Law Society or from the Department of Justice.                                                   8   This situation did not prevail after 1966 when the Chief Justice allowed a Judge to become a member of the Law Revision Commission.