Ministry of Justice’s review process, 52 laws are selected

New Delhi: According to the Ministry of Justice, 52 laws are in force, including the Code of Civil Procedure, the Indian Succession Law, the Hindu Marriage Law, the 1937 Muslim Individual Law (Shariah) Application Law, and the Indian Contract Law. As part of this process, it solicited their views and contacted all ministries by translating criminal liability under these laws into civil crimes.

According to the government, statutory books should be organized. Many laws and regulations that have been obsolete for years are redundant and old. Furthermore, many crimes lead to criminal charges, clogging courts, despite fines being sufficient. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has identified this as a major area of focus. BJP’s election promises included it as well. When he came to power, Modi said he would repeal 10 outdated or archaic laws for every law the party passed.

During the upcoming parliamentary session, officials said that the government would push for the amendment in line with the ministry’s response.’These laws are under consideration for their purpose and relevance in the current context,’ the Ministry of Justice said. The ministry’s views and comments were necessary to decide whether or not these laws remain part of the enactment book. ‘We also need to provide comments or views on converting criminal liability into a civil liability in the event of a breach of these laws,’ the letter said.

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The 52 laws identified by the ministry also include the 1882 Guardianship Act, the Official Trustee Act, the Indian Succession Act, the 1938 Commercial Document Evidence Act, the 1954 Special Marriage Act, the Arbitration Mediation Act, and the Restriction Act. Furthermore, the government has already removed more than 1,200 old-fashioned laws that are no longer relevant and decriminalized many others. In a budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that more legislation will be considered in the future to decriminalize corporate crimes.