The mission of the Legal Reform Department is to keep under review the law applicable in Jamaica with a view to its systematic reform, to meet the changing needs of the Jamaican society, and to assist in the implementation of law reform proposals in accordance with Government policy.

In keeping with its mission, the functions of the Legal Reform Department are as follows:

to examine and review the current state of Jamaican law and its historical background to determine the need for law reform in particular areas of law selected from time to time;

to carry out comparative studies of law and law reform proposals in other jurisdictions with a view to determining what law reform proposals should be adopted in Jamaica;

to present where appropriate, whether acting on its own or through law reform committees, proposals for law reform in pursuance of its mission;

to analyse and advise on suggestions for law reform made by members of the judiciary, attorneys-at-law in private practice or other interested persons or bodies;

to participate in negotiations for, and the formulation of multilateral and bilateral treaties, and in discussion on and formulation of Commonwealth Schemes or other arrangements as well as the formulation of model Commonwealth legislation which have a law reform objective; [more]