J&K forms law commission to suggest reforms for more efficient law mechanism

The Jammu and Kashmir administration set up a law commission on Monday, with Justice (Retd) M K Hanjura as its founding chairperson, to identify redundant and obsolete laws that can be repealed and suggest measures for quick redress of public grievances, officials said. According to an order issued by the Law Department, the term of the Jammu and Kashmir State Law Commission will be for three years. It will have a chairperson, two full-time members and two part-time members.

The Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Secretary will be the ex-officio member of the commission. The terms of reference of the Law Commission are to identify redundant and obsolete state laws which can be repealed, to identify laws that require changes and amendments and make recommendations in this regard and to suggest measures for quick redress of public grievances in the field of law.

The Commission will also examine the laws that affect the poor and carry out post-audit of socio-economic legislation to take all such measures as may be necessary to harness the law and the legal processes in the service of the poor and to suggest measures for elimination of delays.

It will ensure speedy clearance of arrears and reduction in costs so as to secure quick and economical disposal of cases without affecting the cardinal principles that decisions should be just and fair, to suggest measures for simplification of procedures to reduce and eliminate technicalities and devices for delay so that it operates not an end in itself, but as a means of achieving justice and to recommend to the government measures for bringing the statute book up to date.

(With inputs from agencies.)