New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS): The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the setting up of the 22nd Law Commission.
The commission, constituted for a period of three years from the date of publication of the order in the official gazette, will consist of a full-time Chairperson, four full-time Members (including the Member-Secretary) and the Secretaries, Legal Affairs and the Legislative Departments as ex-officio Members, and not more than five part-time Members.
The Law Commission is a non-statutory body constituted by the government from time to time. Originally constituted in 1955, it is re-constituted every three years. The tenure of the 21st Law Commission was up to August 31, 2018.
The various Law Commissions have been able to make an important contribution towards the progressive development and codification of law of the country and have so far submitted 277 reports.
The Law Commission shall, on a reference made to it by the Central Government or suo motu, undertake research in law and review of existing laws in India for making reforms and enacting new legislations. They also undertake studies and research for bringing reforms in the justice delivery system for elimination of delay in procedures, speedy disposal of cases, and reduction in cost of litigation.
They also identifies laws which are no longer needed or relevant and can be immediately repealed, examine existing laws in the light of Directive Principles of State Policy and suggest ways of improvement and reform and also suggest such legislation as might be necessary to implement the Directive Principles and to attain the objectives set out in the preamble of the Constitution.
The Commissions also consider and convey to the government its views on any subject relating to law and judicial administration that may be specifically referred to it by the government through the Ministry of Law and Justice (Department of Legal Affairs), consider the requests for providing research to any foreign countries as may be referred to it by the Government through the Ministry of Law and Justice (Department of Legal Affairs), take all such measures as may be necessary to harness law and the legal process in the service of the poor, revise the Central Acts of general importance so as to simplify them and remove anomalies, ambiguities and inequities.