Law Commission of India

Law Commission of India is an executive body established by an order of the Government of India. Its major function is to work for legal reform. Its membership primarily comprises legal experts, who are entrusted a mandate by the Government. The Commission is established for a fixed tenure and works as an advisory body to the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The first Law Commission was established during the British regime in 1834 by the Charter Act of 1833. After that three more Commissions were established in pre-independent India. The first Law Commission of independent India was established in 1955 for a three year term. Since then Eighteen more Commissions have been established. The Centre appointed Justice D K Jain as the chairman of the 20th Law Commission of India less than three weeks before his retirement as a Judge of the Supreme Court. Justice Jain, who would take up the assignment after his retirement on January 24, will have a three-year tenure and has been saddled with a wide terms of reference including one to examine existing laws from the gender equality perspective and suggest necessary amendments.The Nineteenth Law Commission was established on 1 September 2009 under the Chairmanship of a justice P.Venkatarama Reddy. Its tenure has been fixed till 31 August 2012. Other than the Chairman, the Eighteenth Law Commission has one Permanent Member, one Member-Secretary and six Part-time Members.