Minister Responsible for the Law Commission BRIEFING ON THE LAW COMMISSION October 2005 Background 1 The  Law  Commission  is  an  Independent  Crown  Entity  established  by  the  Law Commission  Act  1985  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  the  systematic  review, reform, and development of the law of New Zealand.   2 The principal functions of the Law Commission prescribed in the statute are: (a)     To take and keep under review in a systematic way the law of New Zealand: (b)     To  make  recommendations  for  the  reform  and  development  of  the  law  of New Zealand: (c)     To advise on the review of any aspect of the law of New Zealand conducted by any Government department or organisation (as defined in section 8(2) of the  Law  Commission  Act  1985)  and  on  proposals  made  as  a  result  of  the review: (d)    To advise the Minister of Justice [and the responsible Minister] on ways in which the law of New Zealand can be made as understandable and accessible as is practicable. In making its recommendations, the Commission: (a)     Shall take into account te ao Maori (the Maori dimension) and shall also give consideration to the multicultural character of New Zealand society; and (b)    Shall  have  regard  to  the  desirability  of  simplifying  the  expression  and content of the law, as far as that is practicable.¹ 3 Prior  to  the  creation  of  the  Law  Commission  in  1986,  responsibility  for  law reform in New Zealand rested primarily with the Department of Justice, with the assistance of a number of part-time committees administered by the Department and   primarily   comprising   judges   and   legal   practitioners.      The   quality, effectiveness  and  efficiency  of  government  agencies  and  these  committees  in carrying out law reform projects was variable.                                                     1   Section 5 Law Commission Act 1985