Law Reform & Government publications

Key Law Reform publications

Law reform publications:

are published by the Australian Law Reform Commission or state commissions
are non-legislative materials (therefore, not Acts, Regulations, etc)
are an important source of information as they give the background and detail on many Government policies
frequently provide the basis for new legislation

Various types of information is published, including:

discussion papers
background papers
reports
journals

Law reform organisations:

are established under the Australian Law Reform Commission Act 1996 (Cth)
are created to review, develop and reform the law
conduct inquiries into areas of law at the request of the Attorney-General
are independent of the Government
inquiries include undertaking research, consultation and legal policy development
usually include some analysis of the law in comparative jurisdictions
make recommendations to the government so that the Government can make informed decisions about law reform

At present, all States and Territories of Australia have a Law Reform body, except the Australian Capital Territory.

(Source: Australian Law Reform Commission)

Australian Law Reform Commission
The Australian Law Reform Commission is a federal agency that reviews Australia’s laws to ensure they provide improved access to justice for all Australians by making laws and related processes more equitable, modern, fair and efficient

Law Reform Commission of Western Australia
The Law Reform Commission of Western Australia assists in keeping the law up-to-date and relevant to the needs of society by making recommendations for the reform of areas of law referred to it by the Attorney-General
Northern Territory Law Reform Committee
The Northern Territory Law Reform Committee is a non-statutory committee established to advise the Attorney-General on the reform of law in the Northern Territory
NSW Law Reform Commission
The NSW Law Reform Commission reviews the law in NSW and makes recommendations for change to the Attorney General. The Commission is constituted by part-time Commissioners and a Chairperson who are supported by staff of the Law Reform and Sentencing Council Secretariat.
Queensland Law Reform Commission
The Queensland Law Reform Commission is an independent statutory body established under the Law Reform Commission Act 1968. It makes recommendations on areas of law in need of reform, and submits reports to the Attorney-General which are required to be tabled in Parliament
South Australian Law Reform Institute
The role of the Institute is to conduct reviews and/or research on areas of law and legal policy specified by the Advisory Board and to conduct reviews and research on proposals from the Attorney-General
Tasmania Law Reform Institute
The Institute was established in 2001 to review laws with a view to the modernisation of the law, the elimination of defects in the law, the repeal of laws that are obsolete or unnecessary and uniformity between laws of other States and the Commonwealth
Victoria Law Reform Commission
The Victorian Law Reform Commission is an independent, government-funded organisation that develops, reviews and recommends reform of Victoria's state laws. The Commission has a charter to consult with the community and advise the Attorney-General on how to improve and update Victorian laws

Australasian Law Reform Library
AustLII provides an Australasian law reform library where law reform reports and other publications of all permanent Australian and New Zealand law reform bodies may be accessed
British Columbia Law Reform Database
The World Law Reform Database has been under continuous development since 1988. Each record describes a discrete publication of one of the law-reform agencies in Canada, the Commonwealth of Nations, or the United States.
WorldLII -- law reform links
Provides links to law reform and law revision agencies and publications.