A new consultation which looks to tidy up sentencing law has been launched by the Law Commission. Currently, the law of sentencing procedure is contained in many different Acts of Parliament, dating as far back as the 14th century. It is often not clear how the Acts apply and many use outdated and inaccessible language. … Read more >
The Welsh Government has accepted the majority of the Law Commission’s recommendations found in our 2016 report on the Form and Accessibility of the Law Applicable in Wales. The report made a number of recommendations to make the law made in Wales clearer, simpler and easier to access. It proposed that significant areas of the … Read more >
Congratulations to two former Law Commissioners whose appointment to high judicial office has been announced today. Baroness Hale or Richmond, the new President of the Supreme Court, was a Commissioner from 1984 to 1993 and Sir David Lloyd Jones, a new Justice of the Supreme Court, was Chair of the Law Commission from 2012 to … Read more >
The outdated law of wills needs an overhaul according to the Law Commission. The independent body say that Victorian laws, out of step with the modern world, are failing to protect the vulnerable – and not allowing others to distribute their cherished possessions after they’ve gone. With an estimated 40% of adults dying each year without … Read more >
The Law Commission has today set out its plans for the current financial year in a new business plan. The document sets out measurable targets for the organisation to meet which will help it achieve its aim of reforming the law. It sets four priorities: To ensure that the law is fair, modern and clear; … Read more >
The Law Commission was very sad to learn today of the untimely death of Lord Toulson. He served as Chairman of the Commission between 2002 and 2006. The reports we published during this period covered a variety of important subjects including partial defences to murder, forfeiture and succession, renting homes and unfair terms in contracts. … Read more >
There are no legal or regulatory barriers to pension schemes making social investments, according to a new report by the Law Commission. Since auto-enrolment was brought in by the government in 2012, the amount of cash in defined contribution pension schemes has rocketed. By 2030 they are now expected to total some £1.68 trillion. This … Read more >
The Law Commission welcomes plans outlined in today’s Queen Speech to close a legal loophole which means buyers of second-hand vehicles are at risk of having them repossessed due to unfair logbook loans. As part of plans to make the country fairer the Government has announced it will act on Law Commission recommendations to scrap … Read more >
Last summer the Law Commission called for ideas for its 13th Programme of Law Reform. We received a huge amount of responses – with 215 unique projects suggestions – and are currently analysing the responses. While no decisions have been made yet, the Law Commission had planned to seek the Lord Chancellor’s approval for the … Read more >
Older people who have moved into retirement leasehold properties could be being hit with unfair fees worth thousands of pounds, according to the Law Commission. After a two-year investigation, the independent law body has found that there is real potential for abuse in the charging of so called “event fees” or “transfer fees”. When the … Read more >