The government of India announced the formation of the 23rd Law Commission after the approval of the president of India. The Commission will be working for a term of three years from 1st September 2024 to 31st August 2027.
The Commission will have a full-time Chairperson, four full-time members, Secretary- Department of Legal Affairs, Secretary- legislative department, and a maximum of five part-time members.
About Law Commission of India
- It’s a non-constitutional and non-statutory body formed periodically through a notification by the government for legal reforms. The government appoints legal experts in the Commission to conduct deep research in the field of the Indian legal system.
- After every three years or the expiry of the terms of the last Law Commission, the government passes a resolution to constitute a new Commission. After the approval of the president, the government issues a notification regarding the formation of the Commission. The government has complete freedom to choose its members including the Chairperson.
- Established for a fixed term of three years, the Commission functions as an advisory body to the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of
- The first Law Commission was formed in 1955 under the chairmanship of the then Attorney General of India M. C. Setalvad. Since then, the government has formed 22 Law Commissions.
Functions of the Law Commission
- The primary function of a Law Commission is to dive deep into the laws of the land, review them, and identify the possibilities of improvements or amendments. Based on their analysis and findings, they suggest government reforms that they think are essential.
- The Commission also reviews the possibilities of reforms in the justice delivery system. They focus on how delays can be addressed and how speedy disposal of cases can be ensured. They also see the possibilities of reducing the cost of seeking justice.
- They review the obsolete laws and suggest the government to repeal them and enact new legislation as per the necessity to improve the legal system.
- The Commission aims to promote gender equality and suggests changes in laws accordingly.
- It submits its studies, reports, and suggestions to the government regularly throughout the term.
