Law Reform Commission Act, L-8

1 LAW REFORM COMMISSION c L-8 The Law Reform Commission Act being Chapter L‑8 of The Revised Statutes of Saskatchewan, 1978 (effective February 26, 1979) as amended by the Statutes of Saskatchewan, 1983, c 11; 1986‑87‑88, c 44; 2014, c E‑13.1; 2015, c 21; and 2022, c 41. NOTE: This consolidation is not official. Amendments have been incorporated for convenience of reference and the original statutes and regulations should be consulted for all purposes of interpretation and application of the law. In order to preserve the integrity of the original statutes and regulations, errors that may have appeared are reproduced in this consolidation. 2 c L-8 LAW REFORM COMMISSION Table of Contents 1 Short title 2 Commission continued 3 Membership 4 Remuneration 5 Staff 6 Duties of commission 7 Legal research by commission 8 Committees of commission 9 Report by commission 10 Publication of report by commission 11 Annual report by Minister of Justice 12 Appropriation 3 LAW REFORM COMMISSION c L-8 CHAPTER L-8 An Act to establish a Law Reform Commission Short title 1 This Act may be cited as The Law Reform Commission Act. Commission continued 2(1) The Law Reform Commission of Saskatchewan, herein referred to as the “commission”, is continued. (2) The commission is a body corporate. RSS 1978, c L‑8, s 2; 1986‑87‑88, c 44, s 3. Membership 3(1) The commission shall be composed of not less than three members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council and shall hold office during the pleasure of the Lieutenant Governor in Council. (2) The Lieutenant Governor in Council shall designate one of the members as chairperson. (3) The chairperson shall be the chief executive officer of the commission and shall preside at all meetings and hearings of the commission. (4) In the absence or disability of the chairperson or if the office of chairperson is for any reason vacant another member of the commission, appointed by the members, shall act as chairperson. RSS 1978, c L‑8, s 3; 2015, c 21, s 64. Remuneration 4 The members of the commission shall be paid such remuneration for their services and such allowances for travelling and other expenses as the Lieutenant Governor in Council may determine. RSS 1978, c L‑8, s 4. Staff 5(1) The commission may: (a) appoint or employ any officers, clerks or other employees that, in its opinion, are required for the proper conduct of its business; and (b) determine the duties, powers, conditions of employment and remuneration of the persons appointed or employed pursuant to clause (a). 4 c L-8 LAW REFORM COMMISSION (2) The commission may: (a) engage the services of any legal counsel, consultants, clerks and technical advisors that it considers necessary to assist it in carrying out its responsibilities; and (b) pay any fees and expenses that it considers necessary to the persons engaged pursuant to clause (a). 1986‑87‑88, c 44, s 4. Duties of commission 6 The commission shall take and keep under review all the law of the province, including statute law, common law and judicial decisions, with a view to its systematic development and reform, including the codification, elimination of anomalies, repeal of obsolete and unnecessary enactments, reduction in the number of separate enactments and generally the simplification and modernization of the law, and for that purpose shall: (a) receive and consider any proposals for the reform of the law that may be made to it by the Minister of Justice; (b) prepare and submit to the Minister of Justice from time to time programs for the examination of different branches of the law with a view to their reform and shall recommend that an agency, whether the commission or a committee thereof or other body, carry out the examination; (c) undertake, at the request of the Minister of Justice or pursuant to recommendations of the commission approved by the Minister of Justice, the examination of particular branches of the law and the formulation, by means of draft bills or otherwise, of proposals for reform therein; (d) enter into agreements, with the approval of the Minister of Justice, with other organizations for law reform for the purposes of attaining the aims of the commission. RSS 1978, c L‑8, s 6; 1983, c 11, s 45. Legal research by commission 7 The commission may institute and direct legal research for the purpose of carrying out its functions. RSS 1978, c L‑8, s 7. Committees of commission 8(1) The commission may appoint committees, the members of which need not be members of the commission, and may refer any matter to the committees for consideration and report to the commission. (2) Members of committees appointed under subsection (1) shall receive such remuneration for their services and such allowances for travelling and other expenses as the Lieutenant Governor in Council may determine. RSS 1978, c L‑8, s 8; 1983, c 11, s 45. 5 LAW REFORM COMMISSION c L-8 Report by commission 9 The commission may report from time to time to the Minister of Justice and shall report to the Minister of Justice at any time upon the Minister of Justice’s request, but shall report at least once yearly if no request is made. RSS 1978, c L‑8, s 9; 1983, c 11, s 45; 2022, c 41, s 6. Publication of report by commission 10 The Minister of Justice may authorize the commission to publish any report submitted to the Minister of Justice. RSS 1978, c L‑8, s 10; 1983, c 11, s 45; 2022, c 41, s 6. Annual report by Minister of Justice 11 The Minister of Justice shall make and submit to the Lieutenant Governor in Council an annual report respecting any programs prepared by the commission and approved by the Minister of Justice and any proposals for reform formulated by the commission pursuant to such programs, which report shall, in accordance with section 13 of The Executive Government Administration Act, be laid before the Legislative Assembly. RSS 1978, c L‑8, s 11; 1983, c 11, s 45; 2014, c E‑13.1, s 62; 2022, c 41, s 6. Appropriation 12 Sums required for the purposes of this Act may be paid out of moneys appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose. RSS 1978, c L‑8, s 12. 6 c L-8 LAW REFORM COMMISSION REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN Printed by the authority of THE QUEEN’S PRINTER Copyright©2022