61 248.  It is stressed, however, that that examination should not be regarded as an excuse for  doing  nothing  or  taking  no  decision  until  the  Crown  entity  issues  are resolved.    Has  the  Law  Commission  Achieved  its  Statutory  Purpose  and  Functions, and How do these Objectives Stand Up in Light of Experience? 249.  The purpose and functions as stated in the Law Commission Act seem relevant to  contemporary  needs  and  conditions.    Indeed,  it  could  be  argued  they  are  as relevant as they were when enacted.  But it can also be said that the purpose of the Law Commission is an ambitious one that has not been achieved.    250.  In  an  article  on  the  new  Law  Commission  in  1986,  the  Rt.  Hon  Sir  Owen Woodhouse,   first   President   of   the   Law   Commission   made   the   following comment on the Commission’s functions⁵²: [Section   5]   is   an   ambitious   authority,   defining   wide   functions   which   speak effectively for themselves.  The subject matter is the entire field of the law of New Zealand;   and   the   functions   taken   together   point   to   continuing   oversight,   to avoidance of piecemeal solutions at the expense of coherent purposes and to the need for law which is both up to date and comprehensible.  In that situation it will be important to work systematically while taking time as well to stand back so that each project can be handled on the basis of broad and integrated principles.    251.  The Law Commission has done some Reports that have reviewed the law in a systematic way.  It has also made Reports recommending the reform of the law and  its  development.    But  opinions  about  the  purpose  and  success  of  the Commission  amongst  persons  with  whom  the  evaluator  held  discussions  are varied.    252.  Some former Commissioners think that the direction the Law Commission has been taking in recent times is not sufficiently bold or ambitious, and that it is not doing what it was set up to do; it is really behaving more like its predecessors, the old Law Reform Committees.  The present Commission rejects this criticism and  points  to  its  ground-breaking  work  on  the  e-commerce  project  and  the research on New Zealand juries.    253.  The  Commission  also  points  out  correctly  that  it  cannot  embark  on  ambitious projects without a reference from or the support of the Government.                                                     52   Sir Owen Woodhouse, “The New Law Commission” [1986] NZLJ 107, 109.