CALRAs Conference on Law Reform

CALRAs CONFERENCE 2015

The Commonwealth Association of Law Reform Agencies (CALRAs) is an organisation designed to encourage international co-operation in law reform.

It has the strong support of the Commonwealth Secretariat, and has been granted formal Accreditation to the Commonwealth.

CALRAs held its 2015 conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April 2015.

The Scottish Law Commission assisted in organising and hosting the conference. The Scottish Law Commission is a founder member of CALRAs, and is active in promoting law reform internationally.

2015 CALRAS Conference Programme: Law Reform in a Fast-Changing World.

Papers and powerpoints presented:

• Keynote Address: To “Mend the Lawes, that neids Mendement”: A Scottish perspective on lawyers as law reformers by the Rt Hon Lord Carloway, the Lord Justice Clerk
• The Practice of Independence for Law Reform Agencies in the Modern Age and powerpoint by Mrs Gertrude Lynn Hiwa SC, the Law Commissioner, Malawi Law Commission
• Modern Ways of involving Stakeholders and Experts in Law Reform and notes on the session by Jim Emmerton, Executive Director of the British Columbia Law Reform Institute, and Laura Tamblyn Watts, Canadian Centre for Elder Law
• Fifty Years of Law Reform in the United Kingdom:
  • Presentation by the Hon Lord Pentland, Chairman of the Scottish Law Commission
  • Presentation by the Rt Hon Lord Justice Sir David Lloyd Jones, Chairman of the Law Commission for England and Wales
• Implementation of Reports of Law Reform Agencies: some new developments
  • Implementation: Perspectives and Challenges from New Zealand and powerpoint by Professor Geoff McLay, Law Commissioner, New Zealand Law Commission
  • Some New Developments: Scotland and powerpoint by Malcolm McMillan, Chief Executive, Scottish Law Commission
  • Implementation by Elaine Lorimer, Chief Executive, Law Commission for England and Wales
• Cybercrime: New Laws for New Crimes? by Finola Flanagan, Law Commissioner, Law Reform Commission of Ireland.  Law Reform Commission of Ireland Issues Paper on Cyber-crime affecting personal safety, privacy and reputation including cyber-bullying
• Law Reform in an Electronic Age and powerpoint by Professor Peter Lown QC, Director, Alberta Law Reform Institute
• The Commonwealth Secretariat and Law Reform: A New Dimension by Marie-Pierre Olivier, Legal Adviser, Rule of Law Division, the Commonwealth Secretariat
• Report on CALRAs by Michael Sayers, Hon Secretary, CALRAs.

Group photograph of delegates at the Conference.

For information on the background and history of CALRAs, see: http://www.calras.org/.