The Law Reform Commission (LRC) reviewed 12 Acts and proposed laws during last year, some of which were carried over from 2022 and has sent its recommendations to Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall.
According to the 2023 LRC report, the Acts reviewed were the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act and the Pursglove Report, the Evidence Act Cap 5:03, the Companies Act Cap 89:01, the Procurement Act Cap 73:05, the Court of Appeal Act Cap 3:01, the Summary Jurisdiction (Procedure) Act Cap 10:02, the Landlord and Tenant Act Cap 61:01, the Matrimonial Causes Act Cap 45;02 and Summary Jurisdiction (Magistrates) Act Cap 3:05. In addition, the report said, the LRC reviewed the Data Protection Bill, the Criminal Procedure (plea discussion and agreement) Bill, the Criminal Law Procedure (paper committals) Bill and the draft Civil Procedure (declaration of a title) rules.
As regards the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act and the Pursglove Report, which the report said the LRC received for review in 2022, this encompassed Senior Counsel Peter Pursglove’s report emerging from his “consultancy to review the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences Act) and to propose recommendations of amendments”. Pursglove, an international legal consultant, had been retained, under the APNU+AFC government, to review the Summary Jurisdiction Offences Act, with a view towards removing offences which should no longer be considered criminal acts.
