This book brings together past and present law commissioners, judges, practitioners, academics and law reformers to analyse the past, present and future of the Law Commissions in the United Kingdom and beyond. Its internationally recognised authors bring a wealth of experience and insight into how and why law reform does and should take place, covering statutory and non-statutory reform from national and international perspectives. The chapters of the book developed from papers given at a conference to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Law Commissions Act 1965.

This paper presents the Government's response to the North Report on Drink and Drug Driving and the Transport Committee's report on Sir Peter North's recommendations. It outlines measure the Government intends to introduce. The prescribed alcohol limit for driving will not be changed, with the focus instead on improving enforcement and education to tackle the drink and drug drivers who put lives at risk. Other measures on drink driving include: revocation of the right for people whose evidential breath test result is less than 40% over the limit to opt for a blood test (the 'statutory option') - the breath testing equipment used in police stations is now very accurate and technically sophisticated so a blood sample is not needed to confirm the breath test; a more robust drink drive rehabilitation scheme; closing a loophole used by high risk offenders to delay their medical examinations; streamlining the procedure for testing drink drivers in hospital. On drug driving the Government will: approve preliminary drug-testing equipment - initially for use in police stations, and at the roadside as soon as possible; allow custody nurses to advise the police whether or not a suspected driver has a condition that may be due to a drug, removing the need to call out police doctors and so speed up the testing process; examine the case for a new specific drug driving offence - alongside the existing one - which would remove the need for the police to prove impairment on a case-by-case basis where a specified drug has been detected.

The Stationery Office annual catalogue 2011 provides a comprehensive source of bibliographic information on over 4900 Parliamentary, statutory and official publications - from the UK Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, and many government departments and agencies - which were issued in 2011.

18% of all drivers killed in road accidents are over the drink-drive limit (In 2007, based on coroners' data.) but only approximately 3% of drivers in the UK are stopped and tested for alcohol compared to the European average of 16%.. This report calls for the police to be given an additional power to permit preliminary breath tests as part of any designated drink drive enforcement operation. Currently, the police may stop any vehicle but can only test the driver's breath if there is an element of suspicion. There is concern that a reduction in the blood alcohol concentration limit would send out mixed messages but that the aimed for effectively zero limit is too great a step at present. Instead, concentration should be on stricter enforcement of the current limit and public education. It is felt that the success of Great Britain's drink driving policy to date is largely attributable to the deterrent effect of the current 12-month mandatory disqualification penalty and the Committee supports retaining that penalty. The committee also calls for the improvement of the detection of drug driving and to strengthen public perception about the likelihood of drug drivers being caught by the police. The Government's commitment to install drug screening devices in every police station by 2012 is welcomed though this interim measure should not eclipse the Government's aim over the medium-term to develop and type-approve a drug screening device for use at the roadside, drawing on relevant experience of doing this in the other parts of the world