By Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, May 28: Almost four decades after liberation from Portuguese rule, Goa government has decided to make inventory of the laws inherited from the erstwhile rulers and review them to decide whether they needed to be reformed.
“The old Portuguese laws are still in that (Portuguese) language as a result new generation don’t have an access to it unless they make special efforts,” state law commission chairman, Ramakant Khalap, told reporters here this afternoon.
Khalap, former union law minister, said that many of these laws stands reformed in its parent Portugal country while Goa still follows them. “After liberation in 1961 the conscious decision was taken to confine to same old Portuguese laws. Many of these laws need reforms as they are obsolete and redundant,” he said.
The law commission chairman said that they will also get the Portuguese laws translated from the experts as state’s important affairs dealing with family laws, inheritanace of property, marriage succession and others are governed by Portuguese laws.
“The legislative intent of the law can best be judged if you know the language,” Khalap said.
Replying to a question, he said that after the inventory or translation is done, it would depend on the state legislative assembly to change the laws or continue enacting them in the same form. “We will just suggest to the state government what can be done after examining each law carefully,” he said.
The law commission members who met the media for the first time after the constitution of the body said that their mandate is to review or repeal obsolete laws in force in the state. “The commission expects to rectify defects in the existing laws and identify laws which require changes or amendments and make suitable modifications or amendments to the existing laws.
The three-member commission is also expected to detect unpermitted use of delegated legislative powers.
Khalap said that commission will generally examine the existing laws in the light of the directive principles of state policy and suggest ways of impvorement and reform.