Legal commissions advise on legislative reform by examining topics of interest and making recommendations. They may review existing legislation, identify outdated laws, and suggest new laws. Members need extensive experience and expertise in different areas of law to be effective.
A legislative commission is an advisory body that assists nations in legal reform by examining topics of legislative interest and making recommendations on legislation and related issues. Legal commissions can be broader or narrower in scope; the United Nations maintains a juridical commission, as do individual states, territories and provinces which are concerned with the status of their legislation. Lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals may work on a legal committee and may call on experts for testimony, research, and support.
Legal commissions often break their work into annual sessions, with specific topics to be reviewed at the beginning of each session. This allows them to organize their work and to devote adequate amounts of time to particular legal topics of interest. Legal commissions may review existing legislation to recommend revisions, as can other activities, such as eliminating legislation or sections of legislation and consolidating redundant legislation.
These recommendations can streamline the legislative body in a nation, making it easier to understand and enforce. When redundant laws are in place, they can confuse people, including judges and members of law enforcement. A legal commission can also identify outdated laws and direct them for removal from the books; people no longer apply or refer to these laws, and while they may be a matter of historical interest, the commission will recommend that they be removed from the body of active law to avoid confusion and misunderstanding.
Members of a legislative commission can also review proposed legislation and make suggestions for new laws to address changes in the legal and cultural climate. This may include researching bills to make recommendations, working with legislators to draft appropriate new laws, and cooperating with government agencies interested in how to implement legislation related to their businesses. The work may include extensive research, and such commissions are usually supported by a staff of researchers, paralegals, and secretaries to assist members.
Openings may periodically occur in a legal commission, allowing new people to join. People can participate by appointment, vote, recommendation, or through a regular interview process. Typically, individuals need extensive experience to serve on the committee and usually need to bring a new area of expertise to the table to balance the skills and experiences of other committee members. A commission full of people who are experts in only one area of law will not be as effective as a mixed body made up of people with different areas of civil and criminal expertise.
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