Any member of the public can comment on the matters relevant to a current project. The comments can be made as a preliminary submission on a project's terms of reference or as a submission on the issues raised in a consultation paper. (Current projects will tell you the projects on which the Commission is currently seeking public comment.) The Commission would like to hear from you if you have an opinion on a matter under review or personal experiences of the issues involved. You do not need legal qualifications to make a submission, although the Commission welcomes input from the legal community.

Format of submissions
There is no set format for submissions. A short comment in a letter may be sufficient. Alternatively, a person may wish to prepare detailed suggestions or a critique of several pages. We usually set a deadline for submissions (identified in the relevant paper). It would be helpful if your comments and submissions addressed specific issues or proposals in the consultation papers.

How to send a submission
You can make submissions in writing, or over the telephone. Go to the Contact us part of this website for further details about how to get in touch.

Use of submissions and confidentiality
We may use your submissions in two ways:

1. Because the law reform process is a public one, we may make copies of your submissions available on request to other persons or organisations. If you would like your submission to be treated as confidential, please indicate this on your written submission or when making oral comments. Any request for a copy of a submission marked “confidential” will be determined in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1989 (NSW).
2. In preparing a Report, we will make reference to submissions. However, we will respect any requests for confidentiality.