MACALLISTER, Laura <br/><br/>
Proving the Potential of Independent Commissions :  A Critical Review of the Richard Commission on the Powers and Electoral Arrangements of the National Assembly for Wales  

 - Canberra, Australia :  Blackwell publishing,  June 2005 
<br/><br/> This article examines the composition, operation and recommendations of an independent commission, the Richard Commission on the Powers and Electoral Arrangements of the National Assembly for Wales, which was set up in July 2002 and reported in March 2004. It is written from an insider's perspective (I served as a member of the Commission) and discusses the way in which the Commission functioned, its deliberations and its report, emphasizing the unprecedented nature of its evaluation of Welsh politics and public administration. The article highlights the lasting significance of the Richard Commission report, not only in Wales, but for future governance arrangements across the United Kingdom as a whole. It considers more generally the functions of commissions and suggests a continued role for them in assisting the various activities of government.