Law Reform Commission

  2. Departments
  3. Law Reform Commission

The Law Revision and Law Reform Bill, 2018 was passed in Parliament on January 23, 2019 and published in the Official Gazette dated March 7, 2019. Subsequently, the Law Revision and Law Reform Act, 2019-6 was proclaimed by Her Excellency, The Governor-General on March 26, 2019 following Cabinet’s approval. The Proclamation was published in the Official Gazette dated March 29, 2019 and the Act came into operation on March 31, 2019.

The Law Reform Commission was established in June 2019 pursuant to the Act and comprises the following Commissioners:      

  • Sir David Simmons K.A., B.C.H., Q.C. - Chairman
  • Sir Henry Forde K.A., B.C.H., Q.C.
  • Sir Elliott Mottley K.C.M.G., Q.C.
  • Hon. Mr. Justice Jefferson Cumberbatch LL.B. (Hons.), LEC
  • Mr. Alrick Scott Q.C.
  • Mr. Andrew Pilgrim Q.C.
  • Miss Shena-Ann Ince LL.M., Attorney-at-Law

Law reform involves the examination of existing laws and the implementation of new ones to replace those which are unfair, unclear, inefficient, unduly complex, or outdated, to ensure that the statute law is responsive to the social, economic and contemporary needs of society.

The Commission is mandated by Section 31(2) of the Act, to perform five specific duties, namely,

  1.  "to receive and consider any suggestions or formal proposals for reform of the law which may be made to the Commission;
  2.  to prepare and submit to the Attorney-General from time to time, programmes for the examination of different branches of the law with a view to reform, including recommendations as to whether such examination should be carried out by the Commission or some other body;
  3.  to undertake pursuant to any recommendations approved by the Attorney-General, the examination of particular branches of the law and the formulation of proposals for reform;
  4.  to provide at the instance of the Attorney-General, advice and information to Ministries and Departments of the Government and other authorities which are concerned with proposals for the amendment or reform of any branch of law; and 
  5.  to obtain such information as to the laws and legal systems of other countries as appears to the Commission likely to facilitate the performance of any of its functions.”

The Commission’s broad statutory mission is to “systematically keep the law under review for the purpose of developing, modernising and simplifying the law”.

In order to assist the Commission in carrying out its mission, the Act specifically empowers the Commission to receive and consider any suggestions or formal proposals for the reform of the law which may be made to the Commission.  To this end, members of the public and organisations are invited to submit to the Commission, written proposals for reform of the law.

Suggestions and formal proposals may be submitted to the Commission at:

The Law Reform Commission
The Henry Forde and David Simmons Legal and Judicial Complex 
Coleridge Street
Bridgetown
Barbados

Tel. (246)-536-0560
Email: lawreform@barbados.gov.bb

The Law Reform Commission is an advisory body and not an implementation agency.