Date:07/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/07/stories/2009010752700400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Malimath named chairman of law commission

Special Correspondent

V.S. Malimath

BANGALORE: V.S. Malimath, former Chief Justice of Karnataka and Kerala High Courts has been appointed chairman of the Karnataka State Law Commission.

Mr. Malimath has served as chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal and member of the National Human Rights Commission.

The State Cabinet meeting held on Friday last decided to establish a State law commission.

Study

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs S. Suresh Kumar told presspersons on Tuesday that the permanent law commission had been set up to look into the lacunae in laws and recommend abolishing obsolete laws. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Meghalaya had already set up law commissions.

The State law commission will have one full-time chairman, one full-time member, one full-time secretary, and four honorary members. The Government has to appoint the Advocate-General; Law Secretary; Secretary, State Legislative Assembly/Council; Dean, Law Department, Bangalore University, and Secretary, State Parliamentary Affairs, as honorary members of the commission.

Subjects

The panel has been assigned 23 subjects pertaining to various aspects of law such as correcting loopholes in the existing laws, deletion of obsolete laws, drafting of new laws for effective functioning of the market economy, providing assistance to the State legislature in drafting laws, suggesting steps for administrative reforms and providing suggestions for settlement of inter-State disputes.