Pursuant to section 10 of the Law Reform Commission Act 1967 (NSW) on 27 September 1991 the Commission received the following reference from the then Attorney General, the Hon P E J Collins QC, MP:

To inquire into and report on the following matters:

1. non-statutory criminal offences (purely common law offences);

2. the common law of conspiracy, especially procedural and evidentiary aspects;

3. the common law of complicity;

4. the common law of attempt; and

5. any related matters.


In undertaking this work, the Commission is to give priority to items 1 and 2. The Commission is also to be mindful of the work being undertaken by the Standing Committee of Attorneys General supporting development of a uniform criminal code so as to avoid unnecessary duplication.

The Law Reform Commission is constituted by the Law Reform Commission Act 1967. For the purpose of this reference, the Chairman, in accordance with the Act, created a Division comprising the following members of the Commission:

The Hon R M Hope AC CMG QC (until 2 April 1993)
The Hon G J Samuels AC QC (from 3 April 1993)
Professor Brent Fisse
Professor David Weisbrot

Executive Director

Mr Peter Hennessy

Mrs Judy Maynard
Ms Fiona Manning

Ms Beverley Caska

Ms Julie Freeman

Ms Zoya Howes
Ms Suzanna Mishhawi

Cartoon by Mr Ross Carnsew

The Commission invites submissions on the issues relevant to this review, including but not limited to the issues raised in this Discussion Paper. Submissions and comments must reach the Commission by 1 August 1994. All submissions and inquiries should be directed to:

Mr Peter Hennessy
Executive Director
NSW Law Reform Commission
GPO Box 5199
SYDNEY NSW 2001

[DX 1227 SYDNEY]

Phone: (02) 252 3855
Fax: (02) 247 1054

There is no special form required for submissions. If it is inconvenient or impractical to make a written submission you may telephone the Commission and either direct your comments to a Legal Officer over the telephone, or else arrange to make your submission in person.

If you would like your submission to be treated as confidential, please indicate this in your submission.

Use of submissions and confidentiality

Submissions made to the Commission may be used in two ways:

• Since the Commission's process of law reform is essentially public, copies of submissions made to the Commission will normally be made available on request to any person or organisation. However, if you would like all, or part of your submission to be treated as confidential, please indicate this in your submission. Any request for a copy of a submission marked "confidential" will be determined in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1989 (NSW).
• In preparing the final Report, the Commission may also find it useful to refer to and make mention of comments submitted in response to the Discussion Paper. However, if a request for confidentiality is made, it will be respected by the Commission in relation to the publication of such submissions in a Report.