Law Reform and Revision Commission

The Law Reform and Revision Commission is established under the Law Reform and Revision Act, Ch. 3 by virtue of section 3 and is headed by a Law Reform and Revision Commissioner. The Commissioner has responsibility for the reform and revision of the laws of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

The Commission is constituted by one or more persons appointed by the Governor-General. Such persons shall by qualified for appointment by the holding of, or by having held judicial office or by experience as a legal practitioner or as a teacher of law in the university.

Law Reform

In accordance with section 4 of the Act, the general function of the Commission is to keep under review the laws of The Bahamas with a view to modernizing their systematic development and reform. In order to do this, the Commission -

(a) receives and considers proposals for reform which may be made or referred to them;
(b) submits to the Minister (responsible for Law Reform) recommendations for the examination of various areas of the law to be reformed;
(c) drafts Bills with proposals of reform as recommended to the Minister;
(d) advises ministries, departments or other authorities or persons concerned with proposals for the reform of the laws; and
(e) obtains laws from foreign jurisdictions that would assist in the reform of the laws of The Bahamas.

Law Revision

The general function of the Commission as regards Law Revision is to prepare revised editions of the existing laws with a view to the repeal and elimination of all obsolete or archaic laws and laws which are temporary in nature. In carrying out its revisionary functions, the Commission is subject to the directions of the Minister.

Sections 6 and 6A of the Act, require that the Commission -

1. prepares once in every five years, a revised edition of the laws;
2. prepares annual updates of the loose-leaf edition of the laws showing what amendments and new laws have been enacted since the production of a revised edition;
3. arranges for the printing and publication of the revised edition and the annual updates.

An update of the 2000 Revised Edition of the Laws has been recently published (LR01/2010). This entails the replacement of the loose-leaf pages of the 2000 Revised Edition showing the laws in force as at 31 December, 2007.