Page 3 - Law Ministry

DMK regime asks Guv Ravi to give nod to prosecute former AIADMK ministers

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi should not delay any further his sanction to prosecute former Ministers in the previous AIADMK regime and clear the 13 Bills pending with him for his assent, the State government urged Raj Bhavan on Tuesday. Writing to Ravi, Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Regupathy said no further steps could be taken in the case involving the Gutkha scam since no reply has been received from the Raj Bhavan on CBI's request for sanction to prosecute C Vijayabaskar and B V Ramana, former Ministers in the AIADMK regime (2016-21). On September 12, 2022, the CBI's plea for sanction was forwarded to the Governor by the state Cabinet. The central agency is probing the scam in which bribes were allegedly paid by the Gutkha firms. Vijayabaskar and Ramana were among the accused. The TN Law Minister said similarly, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sought sanction to prosecute KC Veeramani and M R Vijayabaskar, also former Ministers in the AIADMK government. The ..

Parliamentary panel meets Law Commission, law ministry delegates on UCC

The parliamentary panel on law held an important meeting on the issue of the Uniform Civil Code here on Monday. The standing committee headed by BJP MP Sushil Modi has called representatives of the Law Commission and the law ministry on a recent notice issued by the law panel seeking views of stakeholders on the issue of a uniform civil code. According to the schedule of the standing committee on law and personnel, it has to hear the views of representatives of the law panel and legal affairs and legislative departments of the law ministry "on public notice issued by the Law Commission of India on 14th June 2023, inviting views from the various stakeholders on the Uniform Civil Code, under the subject Review of Personal Laws'".

NALSA has important role to play in ensuring equality to all: Law minister

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Friday said the National Legal Aid Services Authority (NALSA) has an important role to play in ensuring social and economic equality to all citizens of the country. "We got political equality on 26 November 1956. Social and economic equality should also be given to all," Meghwal said in his address at the 19th Legal Services Authority meet at SKICC here. He said the steps taken under the NALSA are sometimes referred to as small steps. "Keep taking small steps through the NALSA. These steps will accumulate into big movement of justice for people," he added. Meghwal recalled the contribution made by past judges of the apex court in terms of legal aid services to the common citizens. "CJI (PN) Bhagwati had said if anyone sends him a postcard, he will register a PIL. This is the right the legal services authority has given to the people, " Meghwal said. He said in this regard, the meet at Srinagar was a "rich gathering". "Top judges of the Su

Parl panel calls representatives of Law Commission, law ministry on UCC

A parliamentary standing committee has called representatives of the Law Commission and the law ministry on July 3 on a recent notice issued by the law panel seeking views of stakeholders on the issue of a uniform civil code. According to the schedule of the standing committee on law and personnel, it will hear the views of representatives of the law panel and legal affairs and legislative departments of the law ministry "on public notice issued by the Law Commission of India on 14th June, 2023, inviting views from the various stakeholders on the Uniform Civil Code, under the subject Review of Personal Laws'". Till Tuesday evening, the law panel had received nearly 8.5 lakh responses on its public notice.

22nd Law Commission seeks views on UCC from public, religious organisations

The commission has set a limit of 30 days to submit views on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for all stakeholders

Bureaucrat-turned-politician Meghwal replaces Rijiju as law minister

Rijiju's surprise transfer was followed by the Rashtrapati Bhavan issuing another communique that said S P Singh Baghel, the minister of state for law, was being moved to the health and family welfare

Arjun Ram Meghwal replaces Rijiju, a look at all law ministers under Modi

Meghwal has been assigned the independent charge as minister of state in the Ministry of Law and Justice in addition to his existing portfolio

During Kiren Rijiju's tenure frequent run-ins between govt and judiciary

Rijjiju's term was controversial -- the government and the judiciary had a series of differences in connection with the appointment of judges

Failed law minister: Opposition hits out after Kiren Rijiju steps down

Opposition parties, including the Congress, took a swipe at Kiren Rijiju who was on Thursday moved from the law ministry to the relatively lower profile Ministry of Earth Sciences, calling him a "failed law minister". In a sudden development, Kiren Rijiju was moved out of the law ministry and replaced by Arjun Ram Meghwal. A brief communique from Rashtrapati Bhavan said President Droupadi Murmu, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has reallocated portfolios among ministers in the Union Council of Ministers. "The portfolio of (the) Ministry of Earth Sciences be assigned to Shri Kiren Rijiju," it said. Congress MP Manickam Tagore described Rijiju, who was routinely vocal against the collegium system of judicial appointments, as a "failed law minister" while veteran lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said it was not easy to understand the science behind the laws. "The failed law minister moves In Earth Science what he can do? Hope Arjun Ram Meghwal acts in a dignified mann

Looking forward to fulfil PM's vision in Earth Sciences Ministry: Rijiju

Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said it was a privilege to serve as Union Minister of Law and Justice and thanked the entire judiciary, including Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, for their "huge support". He further said that he is now looking forward to fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision in the Earth Sciences Ministry. Rijiju's remarks came hours after he was divested of the Law and Justice portfolio and made the Minister for Earth Sciences in a surprise reshuffle of ministers by the prime minister. "It has been a privilege and an honour to serve as Union Minister of Law and Justice under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji," Rijiju said on Twitter. He also thanked Chief Justice of India Chandrachud, all judges of the Supreme Court, Chief Justices and judges of high courts, lower judiciary and law officers for the "huge support" in ensuring delivering ease of justice and providing legal services for citizens. "I look forward to fulfilling the vision of PM

Cabinet reshuffle: Arjun Meghwal replaces Kiren Rijiju as new law minister

Kiren Rijiju will move to the Earth sciences ministry, a govt notification announced on Thursday

Anna Hazare 'used' by AAP to capture power: Law minister Kiren Rijiju

On a day Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appeared before the CBI in the excise policy case, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party used activist Anna Hazare to capture power in the name of corruption. Rijiju also shared portions of an undated interview of Hazare in which the activist purportedly sounded critical of the Delhi excise policy. "Now they have captured power I am sure they will not even listen to Annaji. Corruption was an excuse to fool Annaji and the people. "Anna ji was used only to capture Power and to loot the resources in the name of corruption," the Union minister wrote in English and Hindi on Twitter. Kejriwal appeared before the CBI on Sunday for questioning in the excise policy case.

Consultations going on for change of rules on identifying fake news: Rijiju

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday said amendments to the rules for determining fake news, false news and misrepresentation have been put through a consultation process, but need a lot of deliberations before being enforced. "We are looking towards making certain amendments in the entire election process. I cannot give any commitment because it is a consultation process which is going on. So the definition of fake news, false news and misrepresentation ... these are all important things which require a lot of deliberations. We are doing it," Rijiju told reporters here after inaugurating the Legal Aid office. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023 on Thursday. The 2023 amendments confer the power on the ministry to notify a fact-check unit of the Centre that will identify fake, false or misleading online content with respect to any business

Over 450,000 cases pending before courts in Assam: State Law Minister

He claimed that the decision will help the courts to focus on serious offences and other matters

Draft bills in simple language to allow layman understand them: Par panel

Bills should be drafted in a language which helps a layman understand them and reasons for bringing the proposed legislation, a Parliamentary panel has recommended. The department-related parliamentary standing committee on law and personnel also said that currently all the bills that are being drafted by the Legislative Department in the Union Law Ministry can be understood either by the intelligentsia of the country or the people having legal acumen or knowledge. "For a layman to understand the bills which are presented to Parliament is very difficult. The Committee, therefore, would like to recommend that the bills should be drafted in such a simple language so that even a common man can also understand about the proposed objective and implications of the bill like the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 and Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022 recently brought by the government," the committee chaired by BJP's Sushil Kumar Modi said. "The key mandate of the Legislative ..

Encroaching powers of other should be fiercely resisted: Law Minister

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said attempts by a constitutional wing to encroach upon the powers of the other should be "fiercely resisted" as it posed a great danger to democracy. Rijiju's remarks at the Commonwealth Law Conference here came days after the Supreme Court ruled that the appointments of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners should be made by the President on the recommendation of a committee comprising the prime minister, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and the chief justice of India. The apex court had also said that the theory that courts cannot or do not make laws was a myth which was exploded a long time ago. "One of the important success story of democracy is a strong constitutional permission which holds for a clear separation of power for the judiciary, executive and legislature. If any wing tries to encroach on the territory of the other wing, it must be fiercely resisted because it poses great danger to democracy ...

Govt to push bill to remove 65 more obsolete laws in Parl session: Rijiju

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said the government would push a bill in the Parliament session, which will resume on March 13, to repeal 65 more obsolete laws and other such provisions. Addressing the 23rd Commonwealth Law Conference in Goa, the minister informed that more than 4.98 crore cases are pending in various courts in India and the pendency would be handled using technology, with a "paperless judiciary" being the ultimate aim of the government. "Today, in every part of our country, every citizen is a beneficiary of the welfare steps taken by the Government of India. As a welfare state, it is very important that we listen to every individual," he said. Rijiju said the Modi government has been at the forefront of taking various steps, especially in creating "ease of living" for common citizens. "Policies of the government regarding the ease of living are successful," he said. The law minister said the government believes that laws are for the people and if laws .

Union law minister Rijiju lauds use of AI to transcribe SC proceedings

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday lauded Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud's initiative to use artificial intelligence (AI) for live transcription of Supreme Court proceedings. In a first, the top court started using AI and Natural Language Processing technology for live transcription of its hearings on an experimental basis from Tuesday. "Honble Chief Justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud has taken a great initiative in the Supreme Court by using AI to transcribe hearings," Rijiju tweeted. He said the Supreme Court officially publishes the transcript of the Constitution Bench proceedings. The live transcription has been launched in the court room of CJI Chandrachud. Rijiju has been pushing for the use of AI in the judicial system as well as arbitration proceedings.

Proposals for transfer of 10 HC judges under process: Kiren Rijiju

Proposals for transfer of 10 high court judges are under various stages of processing, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju told Lok Sabha on Friday. Rijiju's statement comes days after the Supreme Court expressed displeasure over Centre's delay in clearing recommendations for transfer of HC judges, saying it was a very serious issue. In his written reply, the minister asserted that "no timeline" has been prescribed in the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for transfer of judges from one high court to another. "As on February 06, 2023, proposals for transfer of 10 high court judges from one high court to other high courts are under various stages of processing," Rijiju said. He said judges of high courts are transferred according to the procedure laid down in the MoP prepared in 1998. As per the existing MoP, the proposal for transfer of high court judges is initiated by the Chief Justice of India in consultation with four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, he pointed out. The MoP further

Pending court cases near 50 mn, initiatives being taken to expedite: Govt

Pending cases across various courts in the country are moving towards the five crore-mark with an over 4.32 crore backlog in subordinate courts, according to data shared by the government in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. In separate written replies, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said as on December 31, 2022, the total pending cases in district and subordinate courts was pegged at over 4.32 crore. He also said over 69,000 cases are pending in the Supreme Court, while there is a backlog of more than 59 lakh cases in the country's 25 high courts. Citing details available on the Supreme Court website, Rijiju said 69,511 cases were pending in the top court as on February 1. "There are 59,87,477 cases pending in high courts across the country, as per the information available on National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) on February 1, 2023," he said. Out of these, 10.30 lakh cases were pending in the Allahabad High Court -- the biggest high court of the country. The Sikkim High Court has the least num