In a notification on 2 September, the Law and Justice Ministry set up the 23rd Law Commission from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2027 (three years).
- The commission will include a full-time chairperson, four full-time members, the Secretaries of the Legal Affairs and Legislative departments as ex-officio members and up to five part-time members.
- The commission’ roles include; identifying laws that have become obsolete and can be repealed, carry out audits of laws that affect the poor and give its views on any law that the Law and Justice Ministry conveys to it.
- The chairperson and members could be serving judges of the Supreme Court or High Courts or “other category of persons”, which has been the case for previous Law Commissions as well. Usually, the chairperson of the commission is a retired judge.
- The Law Commission has been tasked with examining “the existing laws in the light of Directive Principles of State Policy and to suggest ways of improvement and reform and also to suggest such legislations as might be necessary to implement the Directive Principles and to attain the objectives set out in the Preamble of the Constitution.
- The 22nd Law Commission was chaired by former Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi.
- Law Commission of India is a non-statutory body and is constituted by a notification of the Union Ministry of Law & Justice.
- The various Law Commission have been able to make important contribution towards the progressive development and codification of Law of the country.
- The Law Commission has so far submitted 277 Reports. Its recommendations are not binding upon the government.
