(a) whether a panel appointed by the Government has recommended repealing of 1741 obsolete central laws that have outlived their utility;
(b) if so, the details of recommendations made by the panel and the reaction of the Government thereto; and
(c) whether the Government has sought views of legal experts before repealing the obsolete central laws and if so, the details thereof?
A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAW AND JUSTICE AND ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI P. P. CHAUDHARY)
(a) to (c): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.3601 to be answered on 07-12-2016 regarding “Obsolete Central Laws”.
(a) to (c): Review of all laws with a view to bring them in harmony with the current economic, social and political situation in the country is a continuous process. This task is undertaken by the different nodal Ministries/Departments of the Central Government administering their respective laws and generally by the Law Commission of India. The Law Commission has submitted its 248th, 249th, 250th and the 251st Reports on "Obsolete Laws: Warranting Immediate Repeal", in which it recommended for repeal of 72, 113, 74 and 30 obsolete Acts respectively, including some State laws. Further, a Two-member Committee was also constituted by the Prime Minister''s Office on 1st September, 2014 for review of repeal of obsolete laws. Two-member’s Committee has submitted it’s report and identified total 1741 Central Acts for repeal out of total 2781 Central Acts existing as on 15th October, 2014 on the Statutes Book.
Accordingly, 1175 Acts have been repealed so far through,-
(a) the Repealing and Amending Act, 2015 repealing 35 Acts;
(b) the Repealing and Amending (Second) Act, 2015 repealing 90 Acts;
(c) the Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Act, 2016 repealing 756 Appropriation Acts; and
(d) the Repealing and Amending Act, 2016 repealing 294 Acts.
The Government has taken up the matter of repeal of remaining identified Acts with the concerned administrative Ministries/Departments.