The law relating to juries, documentary evidence, the rule on hearsay, the legal aspects of bioethics and assisted human reproduction will be the immediate priorities of the Law Reform Commission's latest programme, according to the Attorney General.
Paul Gallagher last night launched the third programme of law reform by the Law Reform Commission, containing its plan of work up to 2014.
He said the existing rule on hearsay was capable of producing in individual cases injustices and anomalies and he expected the commission to examine this and address the problem.
He said the president of the commission, Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness, mentioned the interdisciplinary work of the LRC. This was especially apposite in relation to the legal aspects of bioethics.
"Developments in this area are fast moving" he said. "Recently we saw the turning of human skin cells into stem cells." Referring to the existing bioethics committee, he said that the Law Reform Commission would assist in its work.
Another area requiring urgent attention was that of assisted human reproduction. Mr Gallagher pointed out that only last year the High Court had to adjudicate on the ownership of frozen embryos. "These areas are of fundamental importance to society and to the individuals who are part of this society" he said.
Noting the saying that times change and that we change with them, he said the work of the first and second programmes of law reform had influenced society and influenced the law. The work of the Law Reform Commission had influenced 38 Acts of the Oireachtas, including three Bills at present going through the Oireachtas, five published Bills and two yet to be published.