The Law Commission of Canada was an independent

law commission A law commission, law reform commission, or law revision commission is an independent body set up by a government to conduct law reform; that is, to consider the state of laws in a jurisdiction and make recommendations or proposals for legal chang ...

that gave advice to the

Canadian government The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-in-C ...

on matters of

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

. The body was created in 1971 as the Law Reform Commission of Canada and was disbanded in 1992. The body was reestablished as the Law Commission of Canada in 1996. On September 26, 2006, the

Conservative government Conservative or Tory government may refer to: Canada In Canadian politics, a Conservative government may refer to the following governments administered by the Conservative Party of Canada or one of its historical predecessors: * 1st Canadian Mi ...

announced it was cutting the LCC's funding. It has since been revived with Budget 2021 allocating $18 million for the commission over five years, with funding starting 2021-2022.

History

Law Reform Commission of Canada

Decades before it was established, since at least 1955, there were calls for the creation of a federal law reform commission. The federal law commission was preceded by the Ontario Law Reform Commission, which was created in 1964. In 1966, the

Canadian Bar Association The Canadian Bar Association (CBA), or Association du barreau canadien (ABC) in Canadian French, French, represents over 37,000 lawyers, judges, notaries, law teachers and law students from across Canada. History The Association's first Annu ...

passed a resolution at its annual meeting calling for the creation of a federal law reform commission. On February 16, 1970, the then

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...

John Turner John Napier Wyndham Turner (June 7, 1929September 19, 2020) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Canada from June to September 1984. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and leader of t ...

introduced Bill C-186, which called for the establishment of a national law reform agency. The bill successfully passed, and the Law Reform Commission of Canada was created. The LRCC was meant to provide expert advice on reformations of legislation. It was to study and review on an ongoing basis the laws of Canada, and to make recommendations for their improvement. No legislation based on the LRCC's recommendations were enacted during the first ten years of the Commission's existence. The commission did not issue a final report until its fifth year. Finally, in 1983, legislation was enacted that implemented one of its reports. In January 1974, Law Reform Commission of Canada published Working Paper 1: The Family Court. On the basis of the recommendations set out in the working paper, the Department of Justice in 1975 endorsed several pilot projects which ultimately led to the establishment of Unified Family Courts in most Canadian provinces. Many of the Law Reform Commission's recommendations on divorce, spousal and child support, and custody and access were implemented in the Divorce Act of 1986. In February 1992, the

announced that it was to close the LRCC, along with five other organisations, as a cost savings measure.

Law Commission of Canada

In 1996,

Minister of Justice

Allan Rock Allan Michael Rock (born August 30, 1947) is a Canadian lawyer, former politician, diplomat and university administrator. He was Canada's ambassador to the United Nations (2004–2006) and had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien ...

reintroduced Bill C-9 to create the Law Commission of Canada. On May 29, 1996, Bill C-9 received royal assent. The LCC commenced operations during 1997. Its mandate was different than under the former LRCC. The LCC was meant to be inclusive to Canadians, and to adopt a multidisciplinary approach. It was made up of five commissioners appointed by the

Cabinet of Canada The Cabinet of Canada (french: Cabinet du Canada) is a body of Minister of the Crown, ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada. Chaired by the ...

on the recommendations of the Minister of Justice. The president was a full-time commissioner, while the other four commissioners served on a part-time basis. In 2002, it released a report recommending Parliament remove restrictions on same-sex marriage. In 2004, it released a report on electoral reform that suggested introducing mixed member proportional representation.

Demise

On September 26, 2006, the federal government announced it would be cutting funding for the LCC. It said that the cuts would save $4.19 million for the government over the next two years.

References

{{Reflist Law commissions Law of Canada Law reform in Canada Defunct organizations based in Canada 2006 disestablishments in Canada 1996 establishments in Canada 1992 disestablishments in Canada 1971 establishments in Canada 1971 in Canadian law 1996 in Canadian law