Copyright Law Review Committee officially 'defunctio'?

UPDATE: I'm told that the proper latin is 'functus officio' - which I'm told means 'out of office, no longer having a function to perform'. Ah, well - it's many years since I studied latin...

Apparently, the Attorney-General has stated that the Copyright Law Review Committee, or CLRC, having issued its report on Crown Copyright, is now 'defunctio officionis'. That is, the CLRC won't be receiving more references.

Wow.

Well, I guess that to some extent, if this is true, it merely confirms something that has been coming for some time. The mere fact that the CLRC were given a reference on Crown Copyright at a time when so much else was happening in copyright-world was always an indicator that they were either on the way out, or inconvenient for the moment. But the confirmation is, nevertheless, somewhat striking.

And a little disturbing. Does it indicate that the Attorney-General no longer considers it necessary to have independent experts make assessments of the proper scope of the law? Why? Because the Attorney-General's Department knows better? Expert as many of them are, surely it can't be the case that having leading experts donate their time to write reports on important questions in copyright law is worthwhile?

Apparently a reason given was 'budgetry'. Indeed, it must be expensive to have all those experts donate time.

I find this very disturbing as an idea. While I may not think that constant reviews are necessary, to make the independent body defunct at the very time when so much is going on in copyright land is, I think, pretty short-sighted.