The Law Commission has set out 14 new areas of law set for reform in the UK over the next few years in what it describes as its most innovative programme yet. With automated vehicles, surrogacy, smart contracts and residential leaseholds some of the areas set to be reviewed, the Commission has focused on reforms which will reduce unfairness for the citizen and those which will help to enhance the UK’s competitiveness internationally following the UK's exit from the European Union.

Modern and simple

Working with experts and the public, the independent legal body aims to ensure the law is modern, simple and fair as it makes its recommendations for reform. Law Commission chair and Court of Appeal judge Sir David Bean said: 'Our 13th Programme of Law Reform attracted unprecedented interest across a broad range of areas. The Commission has now refined these ideas into what I believe is a highly relevant and important series of law reform projects. We want to help tackle injustices by making the law simpler, clearer and fit for the future. We will also be making sure the law supports cutting edge technical innovation such as automated vehicles and smart contracts. Although we are operating in uncertain times, I am confident that our independence and ability to build consensus will help ensure that Parliament can take forward law reform in these areas.'

Public consultation

Under the Law Commissions Act 1965 the Law Commission is required to submit programmes of law reform to the Lord Chancellor. Since then, every three or four years the legal body has set out the areas it intends to work on for the next few years. In July 2016 the 13th Programme consultation was launched to seek the public’s views on the issues most in need of reform. The consultation received the largest ever volume of responses with over 1,300 submissions covering 220 different topics.

Global Britain

The Programme aims to boost Global Britain and help enhance the UK’s competitiveness as it exits the EU in a range of areas fro  smart contracts, electronic signatures; automated vehicles; intermediated securities to modernising trust law. It also seeks to improve the way in which the law works for citizens or businesses – with surrogacy, residential leasehold, unfair terms in residential leasehold, disposing of the dead, simplifying the immigration rules, employment law hearing structures, administrative review,  museum collections and liability for chancel repair on the list.

Non-political

The Law Commission is a non-political independent body, set up by Parliament in 1965 to keep all the law of England and Wales under review, and to recommend reform where it is needed. Since then more than two thirds of its recommendations have been accepted or implemented in whole or in part.