87
put its faith in the part-time Law Reform Committees that had a good record of
enactment of their proposals.
327. But since the Law Commission was established, it is hard to avoid the
conclusion that there is much less political commitment to the sometimes
unappealing task of renovating and updating the Statute Book than there used to
be. The reasons for it are hard to pinpoint, and there probably are a number of
them. Among them may be:
· The re-organisation of the State Sector in New Zealand, especially the
effects of the greater autonomy given to Departments.
· The introduction of MMP. In the initial stages MMP caused distraction
because it involved bargaining over the content of Government
legislation. It has slowed the legislative process down.
· The changing priorities of the politicians themselves who are the decision-
makers.
· The poor relationship between the Law Commission and the Ministry of
Justice.
· The lack of political rewards for Ministers who engage in law reform.
328. One reason for the decline of law reform activity may be that in New Zealand
the Justice Portfolio and the Justice policy area has been perceived for some
years now as hogging the legislative limelight. Ministers of Justice often
encounter resentment from their Ministerial colleagues because of the size of
their bids on the legislative programme. Other Ministers have legislation to
administer as well, but theirs hardly ever gets as much attention as the Justice
Ministers legislation.
329. The historical dominance of the Minister of Justice and the Justice sector
generally on the legislative framework of New Zealand has probably seen a
reaction against law reform projects, and since the Law Commission is attached
to the Minister of Justice, it means that its projects must compete with other