Our role is to advise the Minister and Government on policy development in the area of criminal law reform. We draw up legislative proposals for approval by Government and keep criminal law under review to identify potential reforms for consideration by Government.
We also engage in and promote research, assess reports and submissions from advisory and research bodies, most notably the Law Reform Commission and we consult with relevant interests.
Our role is to prepare laws relating to civil law matters that are not covered by any other specific governmental department, as well as servicing the legislative needs of other divisions within the Department of Justice.
We keep areas of the civil law under review so as to identify the potential for reform and development.
Members of staff from the our division participate in international meetings at the European Union, Council of Europe and United Nations in relation to civil law matters which deal with the drawing up of agreements, treaties and other international instruments on matters of international common interest.
The European Judicial Network in civil and commercial matters provides user-friendly access to information concerning some EU civil law instruments. The department has functional responsibility for some of those instruments, including Regulation (EU) No. 655/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 establishing a European Account Preservation Order procedure to facilitate cross-border debt recovery in civil and commercial matters which came into effect on 18 January 2017. Information relating to the administrative and procedural arrangements associated with the operation of the Regulation can be accessed through the following link: European Account Preservation Order - Ireland.
The website of the Hague Conference on Private International Law contains details of international conventions on various matters. These matters include the 1980 Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, the 2005 Choice of Court Convention and the Convention on Maintenance Obligations, all of which can be accessed on their website.
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