Making Law Reform Work - The Promise and Limits of Law Reform

The paper examines the potential and limitations of producing beneficial social change through law reform in existing Australian practice. The structures and methods of law reform as established by state and federal law reform commissions are described. The issue is discussed with reference to the Victorian Law Reform Commission project in 2000, which led to a series of legislative and procedural reforms addressing the needs of complainants in the criminal justice system. The wider implications of making law reform work in Australia are also discussed.