asked the Minister for Justice if in view of the fact that many laws are out of date and that certain aspects of the law require amendment he will establish a committee to consider and report on law reform generally,
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Law Reform.
10.
In March, 1951, the House was informed by the then Taoiseach of the abandonment of the idea of a law reform committee which was in the course of being established prior to the change of Government in 1948. Instead of that Committee there was set up, as a separate branch of the Attorney General's Office, a Statute Law Reform and Consolidation Office for initiating proposals for law reform and consolidation. An amount of very valuable legislation has been and is being prepared by this Office which has been entrusted with the work that would have fallen to the Committee. I may mention as examples in this connection the Statute of Limitations, 1957 and the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959. At the moment I am taking steps to bring before the Government two further examples of the work of the Reform and Consolidation Office. These are the two Bills to establish the Courts under the Constitution and a comprehensive Civil Liability Bill to deal with tortfeasors and contributory negligence.
As far as my Department is concerned, the task of law reform has been specifically assigned to the new Parliamentary Secretary, who is devoting a substanial amount of his time to proposals for legislation.
In the circumstances, I do not consider it necessary to revive the idea of a law reform committee. But this is not to say that expert committees will not be established from time to time to examine particular branches of the law which need reform.