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Law Development

The Law Development Section is responsible for the provision of information services and international legal development issues.

The Law Development Section of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Division (LCAD) is responsible for the provision of information services and international legal development issues.

These services include the production of the Commonwealth Law Bulletin (CLB) and maintenance of the Division's web pages by keeping information current, relevant and useful to member countries. A new initiative of the Section has been the publication, in January 2004, of LAWD a newsletter publicising law development issues in member countries.

The CLB is central to the Division's prime function of disseminating information on legal developments around the Commonwealth. First published in 1974, the CLB has since grown in stature and volume and continues to be the flagship publication of the Secretariat in the legal field. The information provision role played by the CLB is essential to the maintenance of one of the Commonwealth's major comparative advantages - the sharing of legal traditions and experience. It fosters development of common approaches to new issues and saves significant time and effort, particularly in small states.

In furtherance of this mandate, the Section has close working relationships with other international organisations and agencies, such as WIPO, UNCTAD, UNEP, IMO, HCCH, WTO and CBD.

The Section also works in collaboration with other divisions of the Secretariat, providing a legal input into work on trade issues and other areas relevant to development and international law. It has introduced model laws in e-commerce and e-evidence developed by the Division and approved by Law Ministers, to member countries through country-specific and regional workshops, working in collaboration with the Governance and Institutional Development Division (GIDD).

Working together with the Economic Affairs Division (EAD), the Section is assisting member countries in developing the appropriate legislative framework to foster an enhanced environment for sustainable development. To this end, the Section deals with subjects such as company and investment laws, corporate social responsibility, competition law, and taxation of e-commerce so as to advise and assist member countries effectively.

The Section is also charged with the responsibility of working on international law issues relating to subjects such as:

The Environment

• Environmental Laws

Final/Regional Appellate Courts

• The Commonwealth Meeting of the expert group to examine the removal of Appellate Jurisdiction from the judicial committee of the privy council by member countries, Report of the Expert Group (PDF download)

Intellectual Property Rights

The Hague Conference on Private International Law

• Law Development Section Collaborates With the Hague Conference (PDF download)

Legal Aid to HIPC Countries

• Introduction to the HIPC clinic
• The HIPC clinic is operational since 15 September 2006
• First regional meeting held by the HIPC clinic in the Caribbean region
• Debt negotiation and renegotiation Meeting in African Region
• HIPC Report 2006