Cabinet approves extension of 22nd Law Commission till August 31

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the extension of the term of the twenty-second Law Commission of India up to August 31, 2024, according to the Press Information Bureau (PIB) release.

The tenure of the twenty-second Law Commission will have a full-time Chairperson; four full-time Members (including Member-Secretary); Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs as ex-officio Member; Secretary, Legislative Department as ex officio Member; and not more than five part-time members.

The 22nd law panel was constituted for three years on February 21, 2020 and its chairperson, Justice Rituraj Awasthi (retd), assumed office on November 9, 2022.

According to the release, "The Law Commission during its extended term shall continue to discharge its existing responsibilities, bestowed upon it by the order on February 21, 2020, which includes identification of laws which are no longer relevant and recommending for the repeal of obsolete and unnecessary enactments; suggesting enactment of new legislations as may be necessary to implement the Directive Principles and to attain the objectives set out in the Preamble of the Constitution; considering and conveying 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 Ministry of Law & Justice (Department of Legal Affairs); considering the requests for providing research to any foreign countries as may be referred to it by the Government through Ministry of Law & Justice (Department of Legal Affairs); preparing and submitting to the Central Government, from time to time, reports on all issues, matters, studies and research undertaken by it and recommending such reports for effective measures to be taken by the Union or any State; and performing such other functions as may be assigned to it by the Central Government from time to time".

The Law Commission of India is a non-statutory body, constituted by the Government of India from time to time. The Commission was originally constituted in 1955 and is re-constituted from time to time.

The tenure of the current twenty-second Law Commission ended on February 20, 2023.