Law reform aims to close the justice gap by making legal services available and accessible for everyone, regardless of wealth. However, even as technology makes it easier for many to find and hire lawyers, the justice system is still out of reach for some, particularly in complex areas like immigration where one mistake can have life-altering consequences.
A number of recent scandals and incidents illustrate how legal rules can have unintended, broader effects on society. These effects can be both immediate and long-term, such as the impact of an antitrust ruling on a large business or the impact of a legal innovation on a particular group of clients or lawyers.
Generally speaking, legal reform is the modification of existing laws to meet contemporary conditions or address particular needs in a society. A variety of legal reform goals can be pursued, such as bringing an outdated law into line with current conditions, eliminating errors in the law or simplifying the law.
In addition to addressing specific problems with the law, reform efforts may also aim at changing the institutional environment in which the law operates. This may involve promoting democracy and human rights, strengthening economic institutions or encouraging free enterprise.
Students can investigate the role of law reform by analyzing the way in which Australian laws change over time. This can be done by dividing the class into teams that each choose a legal topic for research. The groups then brainstorm inquiry questions and identify potential stakeholder perspectives to consider in their work. Often, the work of these teams will lead them to examine submissions lodged by members of the public and organisations that are interested in the law reform question.