Introduction
Vision
The Law Commission of Canada (LCC) is an independent agency providing innovative leadership and guidance for the responsive evolution of law in the lives of Canadians.
Mission
The Law Commission connects law and justice actors with expert research to identify pathways and possibilities for Canada’s future.
LCC Emblem
The complex beauty and depth of the maple leaf both represent and inspire the work of the Law Commission of Canada.
The LCC’s raison d’être – living law, pursuing justice, renewing hope – is captured by the colours and reflected in the experience and commitments of people across this land. The four intersecting and unfinished circles, etched in gold along the veins of the leaf, indicate the intersecting vocations of our projects – dream, repair, build, share – each carried out through conversation and collaboration.
Background
In 2023, the Law Commission of Canada (LCC) rejoined independent law reform agencies throughout this country and beyond in underscoring the value of research and reflection on law’s roles in shaping human communities and supporting our complex identities, connections and interactions. Non-partisan in nature and distinct from advocacy groups, the LCC offers leadership and guidance of responsible and responsive evolution of law in the lives of people across Canada.
Established by Parliament in the spring of 1997 by the Law Commission of Canada Act, the LCC is mandated to consider the changing needs of Canadian society through the study, review, and innovative development of Canada’s law and legal systems. Responsive and accountable to all Canadians, the LCC designs its program with support from its Advisory Council and in consultation with the Minister of Justice.
Over nine years, from 1997 to 2006, the LCC prioritized public participation in law reform, provided support for collective and cross-disciplinary research projects, forged partnerships within and beyond academic networks, and committed its resources to extensive consultation and dissemination. Following the withdrawal of government funding in 2006, the work of the Commission – described in its final report entitled “For a Living Law: The Future of Law Reform in Canada” – began a 17-year hiatus. Heeding repeated calls from many sources, including the Canadian Bar Association, Parliament voted in late 2021 to renew financial support and rebuild the agency. The LCC formally resumed operations in June 2023.