Law Reform Bodies and Their Functions

Advisory Committees

• Temporary law reform bodies created to research, consult and propose laws.
• Established to address specific issues or after significant events (e.g., Grenfell Tower disaster, Brixton Riots).
• Also reflective of advancements in science and technology.
• These committees are rare and not commonly used.

Royal Commissions

• Definition: Temporary committees set up by the Government to investigate and report on specific areas of law.
• Once the report is published, the commission is disbanded.
• Experienced a resurgence in the 1990s after a hiatus during Margaret Thatcher's time.

Examples of Royal Commissions

1. Phillips Commission
   • Focused on police powers and accountability.
   • Related to Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
2. Runciman Commission
   • Investigated police and criminal evidence.
3. Eley Inquiry
   • Established the Criminal Cases Review Commission, focusing on miscarriages of justice and retrials at the Court of Appeal.

Public Inquiries

• Response mechanisms to major incidents or events;
• Evaluate necessary legal changes as a result of failures in existing laws or social concerns.

Examples of Public Inquiries

1. Stephen Lawrence Inquiry
   • Found the Metropolitan Police