Version incorporating amendments as at
1 July 2015
table of provisions
Section Page
Part 1—Preliminary 1
1 Purpose and outline of Act 1
2 Commencement 2
3 Definitions 2
Part 2—Establishment, functions and powers of the Commission 3
4 Establishment of the Commission 3
5 Functions of the Commission 3
6 Powers of the Commission 4
Part 3—Constitution and procedure of the Commission 6
7 Constitution of the Commission 6
8 Terms and conditions of office of members 6
9 Payment of members 7
10 Vacancies, resignations, removal from office 7
11 Validity of acts or decisions 8
12 Meetings of the Commission 8
13 Chairperson may allocate references or constitute Divisions 9
14 Meetings of a Division 9
15 Staff 10
16 Appointment of consultants 11
Part 4—Finance and reports 12
17 Funding of Commission 12
18 Control on expenditure 12
19 Annual report 12
20 Parliamentary requirement for information 12
21 Interim reports and reports on references 13
21A Reports to Parliament when Parliament is in recess 14
Part 5—Miscellaneous 15
22 Regulations 15
Endnotes 16
1 General information 16
2 Table of Amendments 17
3 Amendments Not in Operation 19
4 Explanatory details 20
Version No.016
Victorian Law Reform Commission Act 2000
No. 44 of 2000
Version incorporating amendments as at
1 July 2015
The Parliament of Victoria enacts as follows:
Part 1—Preliminary
1 Purpose and outline of Act
(1) The purpose of this Act is to establish the Victorian Law Reform Commission as a central agency for developing law reform in Victoria.
S. 1(2) amended by Nos 18/2005 s. 18(Sch. 1 item 116.1), 23/2012 s. 10. 17/2014 s. 160(Sch. 2 item 107.1).
(2) In outline this Act—
• establishes the Victorian Law Reform Commission (VLRC) with a full-time or part-time chairperson and full-time and part‑time members;
• provides for the employment of a chief executive officer and other staff in VLRC and for it to be also assisted by consultants;
• sets up arrangements under which VLRC may be funded by annual payments out of the Public Purpose Fund maintained by the Victorian Legal Services Board;
• requires VLRC to report to the Attorney-General on law reform proposals referred to it by him or her;
• enables VLRC to suggest references and undertake relevant educational programs;
• limits VLRC's powers to deal with property and spend money;
• allows Divisions of the Commission to be constituted to deal with references;
• requires VLRC to supply information to Parliament and Parliamentary Committees;
• repeals the Law Reform Commission (Repeal) Act 1992.
(3) Subsection (2) is intended only as a guide to readers as to the general scheme and effect of this Act.
2 Commencement
(1) Subject to subsection (2), this Act comes into operation on a day or days to be proclaimed.
(2) If a provision of this Act does not come into operation before 1 July 2001, it comes into operation on that day.
3 Definitions
In this Act—
chairperson means chairperson of the Commission appointed under section 7(2);
Commission means Victorian Law Reform Commission established under section 4;
Division means Division of the Commission constituted under section 13;
member means member of the Commission appointed under section 7(2) and includes the chairperson;
reference means reference by the Attorney-General to the Commission under section 5.
Part 2—Establishment, functions and powers of the Commission
4 Establishment of the Commission
(1) The Victorian Law Reform Commission is established by this Act.
(2) The Commission—
(a) is a body corporate with perpetual succession;
(b) has a common seal;
(c) may sue and be sued in its corporate name;
(d) subject to section 6, may acquire, hold and dispose of real and personal property;
(e) may do and suffer all acts and things that a body corporate may by law do and suffer.
(3) All courts must take judicial notice of the common seal of the Commission affixed to a document and, until the contrary is proved, must presume that it was duly affixed.
(4) The common seal of the Commission must be kept in such custody as the Commission directs and must not be used except as authorised by it.
5 Functions of the Commission
(1) The functions of the Commission are—
(a) to examine, report and make recommendations to the Attorney-General on any proposal or matter relating to law reform in Victoria that is referred to the Commission by the Attorney-General;
(b) to examine, report and make recommendations to the Attorney-General on any matter that the Commission considers raises relatively minor legal issues that are of general community concern if the Commission is satisfied that the examination of that matter will not require a significant deployment of the resources available to the Commission;
(c) to suggest to the Attorney-General that a proposal or matter relating to law reform in Victoria be referred to the Commission by the Attorney-General;
(d) to monitor and co-ordinate law reform activity in Victoria;
(e) to undertake educational programs on any area of the law relevant to a reference, whether past or current.
(2) The Attorney-General may—
(a) modify the terms of a reference;
(b) give directions to the Commission as to—
(i) the priority it must give to a reference;
(ii) the time within which it must report on a reference;
(c) at any time before the Commission is to report on a reference, require it to submit an interim report to him or her within a specified time.
6 Powers of the Commission
(1) Subject to subsection (2), the Commission has power to do all things necessary or convenient to be done for, or in connection with, performing its functions.
(2) The Commission must not, without the prior written approval of the Attorney-General—
(a) acquire any property, right or privilege for a consideration of more than $250 000 or any higher amount prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph; or
(b) dispose of any property, right or privilege that has a value, or for a consideration, of more than $250 000 or any higher amount prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph; or
(c) obtain a lease over any land or premises.
Part 3—Constitution and procedure of the Commission
7 Constitution of the Commission
(1) The Commission consists of—
S. 7(1)(a) amended by No. 23/2012 s. 11.
(a) a full-time or part-time chairperson; and
(b) such number of full-time and part-time members as the Governor in Council considers necessary to enable the Commission to perform its functions.
(2) The chairperson and other members are appointed by the Governor in Council.
S. 7(3) amended by No. 79/2006 s. 61.
(3) The Attorney-General may appoint a member to act as chairperson (whether on a full-time or part-time basis) for a period not exceeding 6 months—
(a) during a vacancy in the office of chairperson; or
(b) while the chairperson is absent from Victoria or is, for any other reason, unable to perform the duties of the office of chairperson.
(4) While a member is acting as chairperson, he or she has and may exercise all the powers, and must perform all the duties, of the chairperson.
8 Terms and conditions of office of members
(1) A member holds office—
(a) subject to section 10, for the term (not exceeding 4 years) that is specified in his or her instrument of appointment, and is eligible for re-appointment; and
(b) on any other terms and conditions, not inconsistent with this Act, that are specified in his or her instrument of appointment.
S. 8(2) substituted by Nos 108/2004 s. 117(1) (Sch. 3 item 224.1), 80/2006 s. 26(Sch. item 112).
(2) The Public Administration Act 2004 (other than Part 3 of that Act) applies to a member in respect of the office of member.
9 Payment of members
A member is entitled to be paid the remuneration and allowances that are specified in his or her instrument of appointment or are fixed from time to time in respect of him or her by the Governor in Council.
10 Vacancies, resignations, removal from office
(1) A member's office becomes vacant if he or she—
(a) without the Attorney-General's approval, fails to attend 3 consecutive meetings of the Commission; or
(b) is convicted of an indictable offence or an offence that, if committed in Victoria, would be an indictable offence.
(2) A member may resign by writing delivered to the Governor in Council.
(3) The Governor in Council may remove a member from office if of the opinion that the member—
(a) is guilty of improper conduct in carrying out the duties of his or her office;
(b) is mentally or physically incapable of carrying out satisfactorily the duties of his or her office; or
(c) has failed to comply with any term or condition of appointment.
11 Validity of acts or decisions
(1) An act or decision of the Commission is not invalid merely because of—
(a) a defect or irregularity in, or in connection with, the appointment of a member; or
(b) a vacancy in the membership of the Commission.
(2) Anything done by or in relation to a member purporting to act as chairperson is not invalid merely because—
(a) there was a defect or irregularity in relation to the acting appointment; or
(b) the occasion for the person to act had not arisen or had ceased.
12 Meetings of the Commission
(1) The chairperson must convene as many meetings of the Commission as he or she considers necessary for the efficient conduct of its affairs.
(2) The chairperson or, in his or her absence, a member appointed to act as chairperson under section 7(3), must preside at a meeting of the Commission.
(3) The quorum for a meeting of the Commission is a majority of the members in office for the time being.
(4) A question arising at a meeting of the Commission is determined by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting on the question.
(5) The person presiding has a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equality of votes on any question, a second or casting vote.
(6) Subject to this Act, the Commission may regulate its own procedure.
13 Chairperson may allocate references or constitute Divisions
(1) The chairperson may—
(a) allocate a reference to a particular member; or
(b) constitute a Division of the Commission consisting of not less than 3 members for the purposes of a reference.
(2) The chairperson may appoint himself or herself as a member of a Division.
(3) The chairperson may at any time—
(a) re-allocate a reference to another member; or
(b) dissolve a Division.
14 Meetings of a Division
(1) A meeting of a Division must be convened and presided over by the chairperson (if he or she is a member of the Division) or in any other case by a member of the Division appointed for the purpose by the chairperson.
(2) In the event of the absence from a meeting of a Division of the member who is to preside under subsection (1), the members present may elect one of their number to preside at that meeting.
(3) The quorum for a meeting of a Division is 2.
(4) A question arising at a meeting of a Division is determined by a majority of the votes of the members of the Division present and voting on the question.
(5) The person presiding at a meeting of a Division has a deliberative vote.
(6) If at a meeting of a Division at which only 2 members are present, those members differ in opinion on a question, the member presiding must postpone the determination of that question to a meeting of the Division at which more than 2 members of the Division are present.
(7) In the event of an equality of votes on any question at a meeting of the Division at which more than 2 members are present, the member presiding has a second or casting vote.
(8) Subject to this Act, a Division may regulate its own procedure.
15 Staff
S. 15(1) amended by No. 108/2004 s. 117(1) (Sch. 3 item 224.2) (as amended by No. 20/2005 s. 50(7)).
(1) A chief executive officer of the Commission must be employed under Part 3 of the Public Administration Act 2004.
S. 15(2) amended by No. 108/2004 s. 117(1) (Sch. 3 item 224.2) (as amended by No. 20/2005 s. 50(7)).
(2) As many other employees as are necessary to enable the Commission to perform its functions may be employed under Part 3 of the Public Administration Act 2004.
(3) The staff structure of the Commission shall be determined by the chairperson having regard to the Commission's budget.
16 Appointment of consultants
(1) The chairperson may engage persons with suitable qualifications and experience as consultants to the Commission either in an honorary capacity or for remuneration.
(2) The remuneration of consultants shall be determined by the chairperson having regard to the Commission's budget.
Part 4—Finance and reports
17 Funding of Commission
The money available to the Commission comprises—
S. 17(a) substituted by No. 18/2005 s. 18(Sch. 1 item 116.2), amended by No. 17/2014 s. 160(Sch. 2 item 107.2).
(a) amounts paid to it under section 144 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014; and
(b) money appropriated by the Parliament for the purposes of the Commission.
18 Control on expenditure
Money given to the Commission must only be spent by it in defraying expenses incurred by it in performing its functions, including paying any remuneration, salaries or allowances payable to members, staff or consultants.
19 Annual report
The Commission must include—
(a) a brief summary of each reference received by it during the financial year; and
(b) a statement on the progress made by it during the financial year on each of its references—
in its annual report of operations under Part 7 of the Financial Management Act 1994[1].
20 Parliamentary requirement for information
S. 20(1) substituted by No. 110/2003 s. 63.
(1) The Commission must comply with any information requirement lawfully made of it by—
(a) a House of the Parliament; or
S. 20(1)(b) amended by No. 20/2005 s. 44.
(b) a Joint Investigatory Committee or the House Committee within the meaning of the Parliamentary Committees Act 2003; or
(c) a committee of the Legislative Council or Legislative Assembly on a private Bill.
(2) In this section information requirement means a requirement to give information of a specified kind within a specified period relating to—
(a) the performance by the Commission of its functions; or
(b) the exercise by the Commission of its powers; or
(c) the Commission's expenditure or proposed expenditure.
21 Interim reports and reports on references
(1) The Commission may from time to time, and must if required to do so under section 5(2)(c), make interim reports on any work under a reference.
(2) The Commission must, at the end of its work under a reference, make a final report on the work.
(3) The Commission must submit to the Attorney-General copies of every interim or final report under this section.
(4) The Attorney-General must cause a copy of every interim or final report submitted to him or her under this section to be laid before each House of the Parliament within 14 sitting days of that House after he or she receives the report.
(5) The Commission must make copies of any interim or final report available to the public, whether for purchase or without charge.
S. 21A inserted by No. 17/2005 s. 9.
21A Reports to Parliament when Parliament is in recess
(1) If the Attorney-General proposes to cause an interim or final report submitted to him or her under section 21 to be laid before Parliament at a time when Parliament is in recess, the Attorney-General must—
(a) give one business day's notice of his or her intention to do so to the clerk of each House of the Parliament; and
(b) give the report to the clerk of each House on the day indicated in the notice.
(2) The clerk of each House must—
(a) notify each member of the House of the receipt of a notice under subsection (1)(a) on the same day that the clerk receives that notice; and
(b) give a copy of the report to each member of the House as soon as practicable after the report is received under subsection (1)(b); and
(c) cause the report to be laid before the House on the next sitting day of the House.
(3) An interim or final report that is given to the clerks under subsection (1)(b) is taken to have been published by order, or under the authority, of the Houses of the Parliament.
(4) For the purposes of this section, Parliament is in recess when each House stands adjourned to a date to be fixed by the presiding officer of that House.
Part 5—Miscellaneous
22 Regulations
The Governor in Council may make regulations for or with respect to any matter or thing required or permitted to be prescribed or necessary to be prescribed to give effect to this Act.
Ss 23, 24 repealed by No. 28/2007 s. 3(Sch. item 72).
Endnotes
1 General information
See www.legislation.vic.gov.au for Victorian Bills, Acts and current authorised versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.
Minister's second reading speech—
Legislative Assembly: 4 May 2000
Legislative Council: 25 May 2000
The long title for the Bill for this Act was "to establish the Victorian Law Reform Commission and define its functions and powers, to repeal the Law Reform Commission (Repeal) Act 1992 and amend the Legal Practice Act 1996 and for other purposes."
The Victorian Law Reform Commission Act 2000 was assented to on 6 June 2000 and came into operation on 6 April 2001: Government Gazette 29 March 2001 page 523.
2 Table of Amendments
This publication incorporates amendments made to the Victorian Law Reform Commission Act 2000 by Acts and subordinate instruments.
S. 19: Under Part 7 of the Financial Management Act 1994 the Commission will be required to prepare a report of its operations during each financial year and submit it to the Auditor-General. The chief executive officer of the Commission will be required to prepare, and submit to the Auditor-General, financial statements of the Commission for each financial year. The report and audited financial statements are required to be laid before Parliament. ↑