The Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission were set up in 1965 to keep the law under review and recommend change when the law isn't working. There is now also a Northern Ireland Law Reform Commission, which was established in 2007.

Only parliament can decide if a law needs to be changed but the Law Commissions can look into it, ask people what they think, and make recommendations for change if necessary.

The Law Commissions' job is to make sure the legal system works well. They do this by:

• Making sure the law is fair, modern, easy to understand and doesn't cost too much.
• Asking as many people as possible what they think so that the changes to the law are based on real situations.
• Making sure there are not too many laws on the same thing or laws that are not used anymore.

The Law Commissions have asked parliament to make many changes to the law and this has made a big difference to people's lives by making our laws fairer and easier to understand.