Government Announces Formation of 23rd Law Commission for Legal Reforms

The government has announced the formation of the 23rd Law Commission for a three-year term. This commission can appoint serving Supreme Court and high court judges as its chairperson and members. The 22nd Law Commission's term ended on August 31.

Structure and Membership

According to a law ministry order issued on Monday, the new panel will include a full-time chairperson and four full-time members, including a member-secretary. The Department of Legal Affairs and the Legislative Department secretaries will serve as ex-officio members. The order specifies that there can be no more than five part-time members.

The order also states that judges from the Supreme Court or high courts who are appointed as chairperson or members will serve full-time until their retirement or the end of the commission's term, whichever comes first. Their time spent in these roles will be considered actual service.

Compensation Details

If non-judicial persons are appointed as chairperson or full-time members, they will receive a fixed monthly pay of Rs 2.50 lakh for the chairperson and Rs 2.25 lakh for members. Retired individuals, including retired judges, will receive pay not exceeding Rs 2.50 lakh or Rs 2.25 lakh per month, depending on their role.

The 22nd Law Commission's term concluded without a chairperson for several months. Its key report on the uniform civil code remains incomplete. However, the report on simultaneous elections is ready but awaits submission to the law ministry.

Pending Reports and Appointments

Justice (retd) Ritu Raj Awasthi, who led the 22nd commission, was recently appointed to the anti-corruption watchdog Lokpal. A high-level committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind submitted a report on "one nation, one election" in March.

Last year, the 22nd commission began new consultations on a uniform civil code. After gathering input from various societal sectors, it was drafting a report when Justice Awasthi was appointed to Lokpal.

The absence of a chairperson has delayed the submission of these reports. People familiar with the process noted that reports cannot be submitted without a chairperson in place.

The newly constituted 23rd Law Commission aims to address these pending issues and continue its work over the next three years.