Welcome to the Tasmania Law Reform Institute

The Institute was established in 2001 by agreement between the State Government, the University of Tasmania and the Law Society. The functions of the Institute include the review of laws with a view to –

the modernisation of the law;
the elimination of defects in the law;
the simplification of the law;
the consolidation of any laws;
the repeal of laws that are obsolete or unnecessary; and
uniformity between laws of other States and the Commonwealth.

The Institute may receive proposals for law reform or research projects from a wide range of sources, including the judiciary, the Attorney-General, the Legal Aid Commission, government departments, the Parliament, the legal profession, members of the community and community groups.

Current Projects

News

New Issues Paper: Sexual Offences Against Young People

The issues paper focuses particularly on the legal defence of mistake as to age to sex offences against young people, namely where a person can defend the charge because they had a mistaken belief that the young person was over the age of consent. The project was referred to the Institute by the Attorney-General. The Institute seeks responses by 29 June 2012.
New Board Member

The Institute welcomes a new Board Member, Mr Rohan Foon, nominated to the Board by the Law Society of Tasmania. Mr Foon is a legal practitioner in Launceston. The Institute thanks out-going Board Member, Mr Philip Jackson, for his valuable contribution over the past 10 and a half years.