2010 saw record number of new laws

A late legislative spurt by the outgoing Labour government saw a record number of laws introduced in 2010, according to legal publisher Sweet & Maxwell.

It said 51% of these laws were passed in the four months preceding the May 2010 general election and over the year the equivalent of 14 laws a day were created, some 98% of them by means of statutory instruments.

The total of 3,506 new laws was 41% more than the 2,492 passed in 2009, and was the highest number total in any year, according to the company.

By comparison, Margaret Thatcher’s spell in power from 1979 to 1990 saw only 1,724 laws passed each year on average.

Sweet & Maxwell said the Conservatives had announced before last year’s election that they would introduce fewer new laws and actively cut the legislative burden for businesses, but it noted commentators had questioned how easy it would prove for the coalition to introduce its reforms without substantial new legislation.