Where are the advocates? Under-staffed law panel awaits members to complete reports on sedition, bail

The Law Commission, which has been asked to examine the need to amend the sedition law, is functioning with a Chairman and only one member since March, while it awaits appointment of eight more members. The term of the 20th Law Commission had ended on August 30 and the Union Cabinet had approved its reconstitution on September 9. 

Between September 14 -- when an official notification was issued and March 10, the law panel was without a chairman or members. On March 10, former Supreme Court judge, Justice B S Chauhan was appointed chairman and Justice Ravi Tripathi, a former judge of the Gujarat High Court, a member.

As per the notification issued by the Law Ministry on September 14 constituting the 21st Law Commission, it would have a chairman, four full-time members including a Member Secretary and not more than five part-time members.

A senior Indian Legal Service officer, equivalent to a Secretary, is appointed as Member Secretary. After G Narayan Raju was appointed Legislative Secretary in the Law Ministry in October last, the post has been laying vacant. One of the key issues pending before the law panel is a call on amending the Indian Penal Code amid allegations of abuse and arbitrary use of the law.

The Law Ministry had urged the Commission to study the usage of the provisions of Section 124A (Sedition) of the IPC.
The panel will have to look at the issue of revamp of the criminal justice system and recommend a bail law to ensure uniformity in the procedure of granting the relief. The two issues are pending with it for a long time. PTI NAB