Centre Reinstates Law Commission, Appoints Ex-Karnataka HC Chief Justice Rituraj Awasthi As Chairperson

Former Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Rituraj Awasthi was on the Karnataka High Court bench that ruled hijab is not an essential practice in Islam.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 7 November 2022 5:44 pm

Ex-Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Rituraj Awasthi has been appointed Law Commission Chairperson

The Union government on Monday reinstated the Law Commission and appointed former Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court Rituraj Awasthi as its Chairperson.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju made the announcement on Twitter and listed the names of Commission's members — Justice (Retired) KT Sankaran, Prof. Anand Paliwal, Prof. DP Verma, Prof. (Dr) Raka Arya, and M Karunanithi.

India Today reported that the Commission was being reinstated after a gap of four years.

The Central Govt is pleased to appoint Justice Rituraj Awasthi, Retired HC Chief Justice as Chairperson, Law Commission of India and Justice KT Sankaran, Prof. Anand Paliwal, Prof. DP Verma, Prof.(Dr) Raka Arya and Shri M. Karunanithi as Members of the Commission.
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) November 7, 2022

Awasthi served as the Chief Justice of Karnataka HC during October 2021-July 2022, according to the HC website.

Awasthi enrolled as an advocate in 1987 and practiced in civil, service, educational matters at Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court. He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court in 2009, according to Deccan Herald.

Notably, Awasthi was on the Karnataka HC bench that ruled that hijab is not an essential practice in Islam and that prescription of school uniform is constitutionally permissible.

The vision of the Law Commission is defined as: "Reforming the laws for maximizing justice in society and promoting good governance under the rule of law."

The Commission's websites lists the following mission components:

Review/repeal of obsolete laws
To examine the laws which affect the poor and carry out post-audit for socio-economic legislations
To keep under review the system of judicial administration to ensure that it is responsive to the reasonable demands of the times and in particular to secure, to examine the existing laws in the light of Directive Principles of State Policy
To suggest ways of improvement and reform and also to suggest such legislations as might be necessary to implement the Directive Principles?
To attain the objectives set out in the Preamble to the Constitution
Examine the existing laws with a view for promoting gender equality and suggesting amendments thereto, to revise the Central Acts of general importance so as to simplify them and to remove anomalies, ambiguities and inequities
To examine the impact of globalisation on food security, unemployment and recommend measures for the protection of the interests of the marginalised