How we conduct projects

The Commission works on several projects at a time. The Responsible Minister and the Commission agree on these projects by July each year.

Each project is a discrete area of law or subject matter the Law Commission has agreed to review.

For each project, we research that area of law, review the policy and consult with interested people and experts.

Then we usually publish an Issues Paper giving all the background information and raising questions for people to consider.

We consult publicly on our Issues Paper, including calling for submissions.

We consider everyone’s responses then we write and publish a report for the Minister and the public. Our Report makes recommendations to reform and develop the law.

Then the Minister tables our Report in Parliament.

The Government then responds to the Report. The Government can either reject it or accept some or all of its recommendations. The recommendations the Government accepts go into a Bill and that Bill goes through the normal parliamentary process before it becomes law.

Read our how a project happens summary.