To be successful, law reform must be an inclusive process.  As such, the consultation process is of central importance to the Commission's work.  Consultation may take several forms:

1. The Commission may meet with experts or practitioners working in a particular area, or representatives of interest groups.
    
2. The Commission may then prepare an Issues Paper.  The purpose of an Issues Paper is to provide a summary or outline of a project on which the Commission is embarking or on which work is already underway and to provide readers with an opportunity to express views and to make suggestions and comments on specific questions.  Issues Papers represent current thinking at time of issue, within the Commission, on specific items where this is stated. This thinking should not be taken as representing a settled position taken by the Commission.
   
   The Issues Papers are circulated to members of the legal professions and to other professional groups who are likely to have a particular interest in, or specialist knowledge of, the relevant topic.  They are also published on the Commission's website to ensure they are available to all members of the public.  Please note that consultees need not answer all questions and are also invited to add any additional comments they consider relevant.  Comments and suggestions are warmly welcomed on any of the questions asked from all interested parties. Please also note in this regard that submissions are, in principle, subject to the possibility of disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2014.  Any person can make a submission saying that they are making it on a confidential basis, especially if it contains personal information, and we would then treat it as confidential as far as possible.  In the event that we receive a request for any material to be disclosed under FOI, we will, before releasing the information, contact the person concerned for their views.
    
3. Before the drafting of the Report a seminar is usually held to which the Commission may invite any interested parties, or those who have made submissions.

Making a Submission

We encourage you to become involved in the process of law reform in Ireland by contacting us with suggestions or comments on any of Commission's current reports or issues papers.

Submissions, either verbal or written, are welcome at any stage during our deliberations on any topic. Please note that there are a number of different ways to submit your written contributions, depending on your own personal preference, specifically:

(i) You can email your submission - in whichever format is most convenient to you - to the Commission at info@lawreform.ie. NOTE: Issues Papers will each have their own dedicated email address for responses

or

(ii) You may post your submission to :

Law Reform Commission,
Styne House,
Upper Hatch Street,
Dublin 2,
Ireland.