| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 11 November 1996[1] |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Jurisdiction | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Employees | 16 (at April 2013)[2] |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | www |
The Australian Law Reform Commission (often abbreviated to ALRC) is an Australian independent statutory body established to conduct reviews into the law of Australia. The reviews, also called inquiries or references, are referred to the ALRC by the Attorney-General for Australia. Based on its research and consultations throughout an inquiry, the ALRC makes recommendations to government so that government can make informed decisions about law reform.
The ALRC is part of the Attorney-General's portfolio; however it is an independent statutory authority constituted under the Australian Law Reform Commission Act 1996 (Cth), and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act). As an independent agency, it is able to undertake research, consultations and legal policy development, and to make recommendations to the Parliament, without fear or favour.
The ALRC's objective is to make recommendations for law reform that:
- bring the law into line with current conditions and needs
- remove defects in the law
- simplify the law
- adopt new or more effective methods for administering the law and dispensing justice, and
- provide improved access to justice.
When conducting an inquiry, the ALRC also monitors foreign legal systems to ensure Australia compares favourably with international best practice.
The ALRC aims to ensure that the proposals and recommendations it makes do not trespass unduly on personal rights and liberties of citizens, or make those rights and liberties unduly dependent on administrative, rather than judicial, decisions and, as far as practicable, are consistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The ALRC must also have regard to any effect that its recommendations may have on the costs of access to, and dispensing of, justice.
- ^ CA 8999: Australian Law Reform Commission, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 8 December 2013
- ^ Australian Public Service Commission (2 December 2013), State of the Service Report: State of the Service Series 2012-13 (PDF), Australian Public Service Commission, p. 256, archived from the original (PDF) on 6 December 2013