8 reports  so  that  practical  implementation  rather  than  yet  another  analysis  of  the problem could occur. If I have, in the above, concentrated on what I see as some perceived inadequacies or limitations in how law reform itself engages the wider community, I certainly do not wish to undervalue the efforts that have been made in this regard.  Importantly, for our purposes, Law Reform Commissions have long recognised the need to conduct both  wide  and  targeted  consultation  to  maximise  participation  in  law  reform  by members of the community.  This paper will next look at what has been achieved in that area and consider the prospects for greater community participation in the future. 2. Access to the Law Reform Process It is trite to observe that the law is one of the main institutions of social organisation and has a significant impact on many areas of people’s lives.  It is necessary to ensure that the law remains relevant and useful to people, hence both the need to develop and refine   existing   law,   and   to   adapt   laws   for   new   social,   economic,   or   cultural circumstances.  Hence, the ongoing need for law reform. Justice  Sackville⁹  has  defined  law  reform  to  be  a  process  of  adapting  law  to  meet changing social needs¹⁰ and we must add to this definition that the aspiration of that process should be genuine progress and improvement of the law.¹¹  The term ‘reform’ does  not  mean  simply  change;  ‘reform’  must  mean  change  for  the  better  –  to  use Justice Kirby’s words.¹²  This is a very broad, and elusive, definition of law reform.   Statutory  definitions  of  law  reform  are  similarly  broad.¹³    Law  reform  is  generally defined  as  the  systemic  development  of  the  law,  with  a  view  to  simplifying,                                                 9   1981 – 1984, Chairperson, NSW Law Reform Commission; since 1994, Justice, Federal Court of Australia. 10   Sackville,  Ronald  “Law  Reform  –  Limitations  and  Possibilities”  in  Legal  Change:  Essays  in Honour of Julius Stone Sydney, Butterworths: 1983, 223 – 240 at 224. 11   Ross, Stan The Politics of Law Reform Ringwood, Victoria, Penguin Australia Ltd, 1983 at 5. 12   Kirby, Michael as quoted in Ross, Stan note 11 at 6. 13   Australian Law Reform Commission Act 1996 (Cth) s 1; Law Reform Commission Act 1968 (Qld) s 10(1);  Law  Reform  Commission  Act  1967  (NSW)  s  10(1);  Law  Reform  Commission  Act  1972 (WA) s 11(4).