India extends support to SCO member countries to enhance legal capabilities

India on Tuesday extended support to Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries to enhance legal and judicial capabilities.

The 10th meeting of the Ministers of Law and Justice of SCO countries was held on Tuesday via video conferencing.

The meeting began in a "cordial atmosphere" with the reading out of a message from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In his message, President Xi appealed to the members to work with a spirit of cooperation and understanding so as to realise the objectives and visions of the SCO and optimise its contribution towards the holistic development of the region, a law ministry statement said here.

Speaking on the occasion, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal emphasised India's commitment to the SCO charter and its principles of mutual trust, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and mutual benefit.

The minister said this commitment is based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision that "India has emerged as Vishwa Mitra (universal friend) and India's greatest strength is trust, our trust in each individual, trust of each individual in government, trust of each one in a bright future for the nation, and world's faith in India as well. This trust is for our policies and practices", the statement said.

Meghwal, the statement said, highlighted how India has embarked on a path of legal reforms, the cornerstone of which is simplification of laws and reducing the piled-up load of old laws and enactments that have become obsolete with the passage of time.

He said 1,486 such laws have already been repealed and more such archaic laws are being identified. This would go a long way in improving the lives of citizens besides ensuring ease of doing business in India.

As part of this, the government is also actively promoting 'Alternative Dispute Resolution' and encouraging the citizens to adopt mediation as a mainstay for conflict and dispute resolution.

"The body of law and legal process in a country need to be in sync with the changing realities of any society. Keeping this in view, the government has taken steps towards making some far-reaching changes in its legal and judicial systems," the minister said.

Meghwal informed the members about the recent initiatives taken by the government to usher in reforms in the criminal justice system which has its origin in the colonial era, such as the Indian Penal Code (1860), Indian Evidence Act (1872) and Criminal Procedure Code (1898) and replacing them with proposed laws, "which while drawing inspiration from fountain of our traditional and ancient legal knowledge are tuned to the needs and realities of modern and vibrant India".

Reaffirming India's deepest concern and commitment to digital data protection, the minister urged the member countries to dedicate themselves to the same and resolve to work towards protection of digital data and development of a safe and secure digital ecosystem worldwide.

SCO is an intergovernmental organisation founded in Shanghai in June 2001. Since its inception, the SCO has mainly focused on regional security issues and its fight against regional terrorism, ethnic separatism and religious extremism. To date, the SCO's priorities also include regional development.

At Tuesday's meeting, a joint statement was signed by all the ministers of justice of the SCO member countries that emphasised on cooperation in the field of law and justice achieved in the last 22 years among the member countries.

The joint statement called for cooperation between Ministries of Law and Justice of the SCO member nations to enhance cooperation in legal and judicial spheres.

It also called for organising conferences and legal cooperation fora for better exchange of experience.

The joint statement also said that there should be a continuation of the work of the Expert Working Groups on forensic expertise and legal services.

"It was decided to hold the next meeting of SCO Ministers for Law and Justice in the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2024," the statement said.