Scottish Law Commission launches latest programme of reform

The Scottish Law Commission has today published its Tenth Programme of Law Reform. The programme will form the basis for most of the commission’s work over the next five years. The programme has been approved by Scottish ministers and laid before the Scottish Parliament.

Lord Pentland, the commission’s chairman (pictured), said: “I am very pleased to introduce the Scottish Law Commission’s Tenth Programme of Law Reform. We propose to embark on new projects on the law of homicide, on certain aspects of family law, on the law affecting surrogacy and on some topics relating to damages for personal injury.

“We look forward to beginning work on these new topics and on our new joint project with the Law Commission for England and Wales on automated vehicles. I believe that the Programme constitutes a forward-looking and socially relevant body of work.”

The programme was prepared following consultation with a wide range of stakeholders across Scottish civic society.

The tenth programme also incorporates ongoing work from the commission’s previous programme, namely projects on contract law, heritable securities, and aspects of the law of leases.

In addition to programme work, the commission carries out joint law reform work with other law reform bodies such as the Law Commission for England and Wales.

Joint law reform work with the Law Commission for England and Wales includes a project on insurance; a new joint project on the law of automated vehicles; and the programme item on the law affecting surrogacy will be carried out as a joint project.