History

Law Reform Commission of Canada (1971-1993)

The Law Commission of Canada’s predecessor, the Law Reform Commission of Canada, was established in 1971 under the Law Reform Commission of Canada Act. The goal of the LRCC, as set out in its enabling statute, was to “study and keep under review on a continuing and systematic basis” the laws of Canada, “with a view to making recommendations for their improvement, modernization and reform”. Past Chairs of the Commission included E. Patrick Hartt, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada the Right Honourable Antonio Lamer, Francis C. Muldoon, Q.C., Allen M. Linden, and the Honourable Gilles Létourneau, Q.C.

During more than 20 years of operation, the LRCC produced a wide variety of reports and studies in the area of criminal law, including multiple works on sentencing, evidence, and investigative powers. It also produced work on such diverse topics as biomedical ethics, the Canadian payments system, and legislative drafting in French. 

The LRCC was disbanded in 1993. An archive of the Law Reform Commission’s reports can be found here.   

Law Commission of Canada (1997-2006)

The Law Commission of Canada was first established in 1997 under the Law Commission of Canada Act.  It produced an extensive body of work over almost a decade of operation.   

Roderick Macdonald, the first President of the LCC, held that office from 1997 to 2000. He conceptualized and implemented a framework for the Commission’s projects. In response to a reference from the Minister of Justice, the LCC issued its first major report: Restoring Dignity: Responding to Child Abuse in Canadian Institutions. 

Nathalie Des Rosiers served as President from 2000 to 2004. Major reports produced by the Law Commission during her tenure include Beyond Conjugality: Recognizing and Supporting Close Personal Adult Relationships, and Voting Counts: Electoral Reform for Canada. 

Yves Le Bouthillier served as President from 2005 to 2006. Discussion papers produced during his tenure include Crossing Borders: Law in a Globalized World, Justice Within: Indigenous Legal Traditions, and In Search of Security: The Future of Policing in Canada.  

An archive of the Law Commission of Canada’s reports can be found here.  

The LCC

Page details

Date modified: