During the Victorian era, successive Lord Chancellors made an effort to reform the law; as Gerald Dworkin writes, "there was hardly one of the Victorian Lord Chancellors who did not have something to his credit in the sphere of legal reform.

"[1] During the twentieth century this changed, with Lord Chancellors not having the time or energy to add law reform to their host of judicial and political duties.

[1] Lord Gardiner convinced Harold Wilson to add law reform to the Labour Party manifesto for the 1964 general election, and when the Labour Party were returned to power, Gardiner made a promise to set up a Law Commission a requirement for his acceptance of the post of Lord Chancellor.

The English commission has five commissioners, including a chairman, all appointed by the Lord Chancellor.

Each commissioner sits for five years, although they may resign at any point and still be eligible for reappointment.