National Competition Policy Review Discussion Paper


Council of Law Reporting Act 1969


3. Overview of the New South Wales Council of Law Reporting Act

The Act was introduced to give statutory recognition to the Council, which had been set up as an administrative body in 1963. The Act provides for the establishment of an eleven member Council, consisting of the Attorney General, the Solicitor General, the President of the Law Society, the President of the Council of the Bar Association, and seven other appointed members. Of the appointed members, five must be barristers appointed on the nomination of the Council of the Bar Association and two must be solicitors appointed by the Council of the Law Society.

Powers of the Council

The principal powers of the Council are contained in s.7 of the Act. Section 7(1) provides as follows:

“The Council may do all or any of the following things that is to say-:

a) prepare, publish and sell or arrange for the preparation, publication and sale of:

i) reports of such judicial decisions of any Court or such decisions of any tribunal constituted by or under any Act or of decisions in proceedings whether on appeal therefrom or otherwise as it may consider to be of interest to persons engaged in the administration or practice of law in New South Wales;

(ii) any summary extract or digest of any such reports;

(iii) any other legal works relating to such reports; and

b) all other acts or things incidental to or necessary to be done in connection with the foregoing powers.”