Meeting in London in September 2005, the Annual Conference85 for the Association of Commonwealth Law Reform Agencies sought to look into the future of law reform process and the agencies. The conference was held against a backdrop of dissolution or downgrading of law reform agencies in a number of Commonwealth countries and Australia. The dissolution or downgrading emanates partly from a general feeling that law reform agencies are not deliveringon their mandate.86 There is therefore need for law reform agencies to reengineer themselves if they are to remain relevant and compete for meagre public resourcesin the 21st century. Incidentally the need for systematic law reform is not in issue in all jurisdictions.87

This study looks at the theory of law reform process and challenges facing the agencies in the 21st century. In addressing the above concerns, the paper addresses the issue of jurisprudence of law reform; the basic discourse being that law reform is an all-encompassing process and should not be put in a straitjacket of the black letter law. It is further opined that beside a holisticapproach to law reform, the agencies must embrace new public management techniques for effective performance.