3 Since  1892  there  has  been  a  National  Conference  of  Commissioners  of  Uniform  State Laws  in  the  United  States  that  meets  annually¹⁰.  It  has  had  a  substantial  impact, particularly  in  moving  to  consistency  of  approach  between  the  various  States  with codification and unification being touchstones of operation.   Judge  Benjamin  Cardozo,  writing  in  1921  in  the  Harvard  Law  Review,  advocated  an agency to mediate between the Courts and Congress that he described as a “Ministry of Justice”¹¹.  Following  this  initiative,  various  State  entities  were  created  although  no over-arching  government  sponsored  federal  body.  However,  that  country  has  had  the very considerable advantage of the impressive work of the American Law Institute for more  than  80  years¹².  This is a private organisation made up of distinguished Judges, lawyers   and   academics,   which   is   dedicated   to   law   reform   and   has   had   a   critical influence in many areas. Their charter is simplification, clarification and adaption of the law to better meet social needs and improved judicial administration.  It is probably best recognised  for  its  “Restatements”  in  many  areas  of  the  law¹³.  It  has  an  international flavour  through  a  hundred  or  so  members  from  outside  the  USA,  among  whom  both Lord Steyn and I are honoured to be included. The Canadian antecedents in law reform are similar to those of its southern neighbour.   The   Canadian   Conference   on   Uniform   State   Laws   was   established   in   1918   and continues to be an influential body¹⁴.  During the 1950’s and 60’s there were a number of provincial law reform bodies created and one at a natio nal level¹⁵.  Perhaps indicative of  the  problems  that  can  arise  with  law  reform  and  its  interface  with  other  bodies interested in changes in the law, some of those bodies were subsequently abolished and                                                  10   Australian  Law  Reform  Commission    Annual   Report   1975    (Australian   Government   Publishing    Services, Canberra, 1975) 8 11   Cardozo, Justice Benhamin N. “A Ministry of Justice”” (1921) 35    Harv.L.Rev.113 12   The American Law Institute was organised in 1923 13   The     2004   Checklist   of   American   Law   Institute’s   Restatements   of   the   Law,   is   available   at: http://www.ali.org/ali/checklist_ali.htm (last accessed 1 February 2005) 14   William H. Hurlburt, Q.C.  Law Reform Commissions in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada (Juriliber Limited, Edmonton, 1986) 173 15   The Law Reform Commission of Canada was established in 1970, for a history of the provincial and federal  law  reform  bodies  go  to:  Gavin  Murphy   Law  Reform  Agencies  (International Corporation Group, 2003)