Page 4274 - Week 13 - Thursday, 25 November 1993

THE BILL ALSO ENTITLES COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO BE PAID FOR

ATTENDING COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND TO BE REIMBURSED FOR

ANY REASONABLE EXPENSES INCURRED IN THE COURSE OF

PERFORMING OTHER COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS. FROM THE TIME

THE COMMITTEE WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED UNTIL EARLIER THIS

YEAR, COMMITTEE MEMBERS RECEIVED NO PAYMENT FOR THEIR

CONTRIBUTIONS TO LAW REFORM. THE WORKLOAD OF THE

COMMITTEE IS VERY, DEMANDING AND MEMBERS DEVOTE A

SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THEIR OWN TIME TO CONSIDERING

COMPLEX LEGAL ISSUES AND THE PREPARATION OF REPORTS AND

LEGISLATION. THE GOVERNMENT AGREED EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT THE

COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHOULD BE PAID AND BE REIMBURSED FOR

EXPENSES. .THIS IS NOW FORMALLY PROVIDED FOR IN THE BILL.

IT SHOULD BE STRESSED THAT THE COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE

TO OPERATE IN ITS EXISTING FORM. THE A.C.T. LAW REFORM

MODEL DIFFERS FROM THOSE IN OTHER AUSTRALIAN

JURISDICTIONS BECAUSE OF ITS CLOSE TIES TO GOVERNMENT. IN

LARGE MEASURE, THIS CLOSENESS I$ MAINTAINED BECAUSE

SECRETARIAT SUPPORT FOR THE COMMITTEE IS PROVIDED BY THE

ATTORNEY-GENERALS DEPARTMENT, RATHER THAN BY A BODY

WHICH IS SEPARATE FROM THE GOVERNMENT. THIS MODEL

AVOIDS THE PITFALLS MET BY OTHER LAW REFORM.

COMMISSIONS IN OTHER STATES WHICH ADOPT THE.

TRADITIONAL MODEL IN WHICH THE LAW REFORM BODY WORKS

AT ARMS LENGTH FROM THE GOVERNMENT, PRODUCING

REPORTS WHICH ARE OFTEN IMPRACTICAL TO GOVERNMENT.