This Committee is one of seven Legislative and General Purposes Standing Committees constituted by Senate Resolution of 11 June 1970. It was provided that these Committees be established over a period of 12 months. This Committee was established by the appointment of its members on 6 October 1971. They were Senators Byrne, Durack, Hannan, James McClelland, Murphy and Withers.
 
The Committee was reconstituted 14 March 1973 on the meeting of the 28th Parliament, and its members reappointed on March 1973. They were Senators Byrne, Durack, James McClelland, Wheeldon, Wright and Brown.  
Focusing as it does on questions of a legal and constitutional nature, the Committee's work has ranged widely over many subject areas including family, constitutional, Parliamentary, criminal and administrative law. Matters referred to the Committee have included:
 
1. The elimination of discrimination against Aborigines (including   
   Torres Strait Islanders) by or under Commonwealth or State
   Laws.  (Referred 7 October 1971)
 
2. Death Penalty Abolition Bill 1971. (Referred 13 October 1971).
   Reported December 1971
 
3. The law and administration of divorce, custody and family
   matters, with particular regard to oppressive costs, indignities,
   delays and other injustices. (Referred 7 December 1971)
 
4. The Report of the Commonwealth Administrative Review Committee   
   dated August 1971. (Referred February 1972)
 
5. The Evidence (Australian Capital Territory) Bill 1972. (Referred
   12 April 1972)
 
6. The relevant aspects of drug trafficking and drug abuse - Selec 
   Committee - Report. (Referred 22 August 1972)
 
7. Compensation (Commonwealth Employees) Bill 1973, (Referred 12
   April 1973).  Reported May 1973
 
8. The amendments of the Matrimonial Causes Rules, as contained in  
   Statutory Rules 1973 No 8 made under the Matrimonial Causes Act   
   1959-1966 and disallowed by Resolution of the Senate on 29 March 
   1973. (Referred 18 September 1973)
 
9. Constitution Alteration (Simultaneous Elections) Bill 1974.   
   (Referred 4 Dec 1973)
 
The Committee was reconstituted again on 16 August 1974, and members were appointed on 22 August 1974. The members were Senators Button, Chaney, Durack, Everett, McClelland and Missen.
 
The records raised by the Committee are maintained in series for each reference. Some of these records were arranged into their present series retrospectively by the Committee Secretariat of the Senate.
 
The Senate resolution of 22 September 1987 re-appointed the
Committee. The appointment was in the form of a name change from the Senate Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. The aim of the name change was to have the Senate Committee link with the House of Representative's Committee of the same name.
 
Matters referred to the newly named Committee include:
 
1. The continuing oversight of the implementation of reports of the
   Law Reform Commission. (Referred 24 September 1981)
 
2. The operation and administration of the Freedom of Information   
   Legislation. (Referred 29 November 1985)
 
3. The continuing oversight of the Commonwealth Ombudsman Special   
   Reports. (Referred 22 August 1986)
 
4. The nature, function, ambit and adequacy of income tax rulings  
   issued by the the Commissioner of Taxation and the process by
   which these rulings are formulated and disseminated. (Referred 27
   May 1987)  

The members of the Committee appointed on 24 September 1987 were Senator Bolkus (Chairman), Senators Alston, Cooney, Giles, Hill, Powell, Schacht and Stone.
 
For a full list of the reports tabled by the Committee up to December 1990, see the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committees: The First 20 Years 1970-1990, pages 127/131.
 

Sources
 
Senate resolution 6 October 1971, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), Senate, Second Session of the Twenty Seventh Parliament (Fourth Period), 17 August-10 December 1971
 
Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committees: The First 20 Years 1970-1990 (Senate Committee Office, Parliament House, Canberra).
Historical agency address
The Senate, Parliament House, Canberra
Legislation administered
Creation: Senate resolution 6 Oct 1971, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), Senate, Second Session of the Twenty Seventh Parliament (Fourth Period), 17 August- 10 December 1971