Legal reform refers to the process of adjusting laws, rules and institutions to meet society’s evolving needs. It is usually aimed at making the law more relevant, up to date and fair. It can include repeal (getting rid of a law), creation of new law, consolidation and codification. It may also include research or writing that helps to establish an empirical basis for future law reform activities.
It is important to remember that legal reforms are not just about changing laws, but also changing structures and the way people use them. Legal change is always a response to forces from outside – a war, plague or revolution; major innovation (such as antibiotics, automobiles and computers); or social change (democratization or sexual permissiveness). But the actual effect of these “outside” influences on a particular society will never be exactly predictable. This is because these forces operate in a society that has its own structures and cultural facts, which will bend and mediate them prismatically.
For example, Mexico’s proposed reform to elect labor judges could undermine the independence of the judiciary and breach its international obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Lambda Legal is urging the Mexican government to withdraw this proposal and ensure that justice for all is not compromised.
A number of permanent law reform bodies exist for each country and they will all advertise their current inquiries or papers on their websites. This is a great place to start your search.
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