The Law Reform Commision
The Law Reform Commission is a statutory body whose purpose is to keep the law under review and make recommendations for law reform so that the law reflects the changing needs of Irish society. Since establishment the Commission has published over 160 documents and 70% of these have resulted in reforming legislation. Examples include Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 implemented our 1990 Report on the Confiscation of the Proceeds of Crime; Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009 implemented our 2005 Report on Reform and Modernisation of Land Law and Conveyancing Law and Part 15 of Civil Partnership and Cohabitants Act 2010 implemented our 2006 Report on Rights and Duties of Cohabitants.
The Commission also produce administrative consolidations of Acts, called Restatements and updates the Legislation Directory, a searchable guide to amendments made to Acts. In 2010 the Commission also published a draft Classified List of Legislation in Ireland. This comprises a list of over 2,000 post-1922 Acts and over 100 pre-1922 Acts that remain in force, grouped under 36 major subject headings.
The Library and Reform Service
All Commission publications dating back to 1975 are available on our website, www.lawreform.ie
The Library & Information Service is specifically targeted to enable and support the work of the Commission. The Legal Information Manager works closely with Commission staff to ensure that they have access to the most relevant, timely and up-to-date resources and services. With the exponential growth in law itself, and the attendant burgeoning of information products, services and suppliers that we have seen over the past two decades, an essential skill is knowing where and how to look for relevant information. This is where the employment of professionally qualified and experienced law librarians represents a good return on investment and ensures that the legal professional has the necessary support and resources to hand.
The Library & Information Service staff of the Law Reform Commission strive to ensure that whatever is required will be sourced and supplied without delay. Furthermore, a broad range of strategies are employed to ensure that Commission staff are kept up to date with current developments, at both national and international level. To this end the Library staff create detailed, cross-referenced catalogue records, produce a weekly in-house Current Awareness Service, operate a media monitoring service and have a good working understanding of the nature of all the on-going projects so that pertinent assistance can be provided as soon as it is required.
Reciprocal Arrangements
Through reciprocal arrangements with law reform agencies throughout the common law world the Law Reform Commission Library has developed a section that is undoubtedly unique in Ireland. We hold a copy of every publication produced by the law reform agencies of Australia, Canada, England & Wales, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland and South Africa.
The Library's acquisitions closely track the Commission's on-going projects and their evolving requirements. Relevant text books are purchased and serials subscribed to in anticipation of each new project and whenever an information gap emerges the Library & Information Service strives to bridge it. The Commission are fortunate to be able to draw on the excellent services provided by Trinity College, Dublin – Information Service, The British Library, The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and a wide and informal network of law librarians throughout Ireland, the UK and Australia. This informal assistance, so graciously provided by librarians, academics and researchers throughout the world often proves invaluable in ensuring that the Library and Information Service can meet the needs of its user group.
Close collaboration, consultation and cooperation between the Library & Information Service staff with both our internal stakeholders and external agencies and associates, ensure that provision is fit for purpose and enables the Commission to fulfil its remit.
