Law Commission History
India’s Law Commissions date back to a time before independence. Under TB Macaulay’s direction, the first Law Commission was established in 1834 as a result of the Charter Act of 1833:
- The Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Penal Code were codified as a result of the first commission’s recommendations.
- The Brits had established three more law commissions prior to independence. The contribution of the four pre-independent law commissions to the statute books has been substantial.
- In keeping with the history of using law commissions to introduce legal reforms into the nation, the first Law Commission was established in 1955, following the nation’s independence.
- It provided the government with 14 reports.
Law Commission of India
Law Commission of India: Law reform has always been a process in Indian history, and this is what the Law Commission of India seeks to achieve. Before the 1830s, when customary law and religious doctrines held sway, the evolution of legal systems proceeded organically, largely unconstrained by formalized institutions. However, during the third decade of the 19th century, a pivotal shift occurred as governments established dedicated Law Commissions tasked with systematically evaluating and proposing necessary legal reforms. This marked a transition from ad hoc developments to a more structured and deliberate approach to lawmaking.
Table of Content
- What is the Law Commission of India?
- Law Commission History
- Law Commission Members
- Law Commission Functions
- 21st Law Commission of India
- Law Commission of India Reports
Law Commission |
Year |
Chairman |
Reports |
---|---|---|---|
1st |
1955 |
M.C. Setalvad |
1 – 14 |
2nd |
1958 |
T.V. Venkatarama Aiyar |
15 – 22 |
3rd |
1961 |
J.L. Kapur |
23 – 28 |
4th |
1964 |
J.L. Kapur |
29 – 38 |
5th |
1968 |
V.K. Sundaram |
39 – 44 |
6th |
1971 |
P.B. Gajendragadkar |
45 – 61 |
7th |
1974 |
P.B. Gajendragadkar |
62 – 70 |
8th |
1977 |
H.R. Khanna |
71 – 80 |
9th |
1980 |
P.V. Dixit |
81 – 87 |
10th |
1983 |
K.K. Mathew |
88 – 113 |
11th |
1986 |
D.A. Desai |
114 – 131 |
12th |
1989 |
Manharlal Pranlal Thakkar |
132 – 143 |
13th |
1992 |
N.K. Singh |
144 – 153 |
14th |
1995 |
K. Jayachandra Reddy |
154 – 156 |
15th |
1998 |
B.P. Jeevan Reddy |
157 – 174 |
16th |
2001 |
B.P. Jeevan Reddy |
175 – 185 |
17th |
2004 |
M. Jagannadha Rao |
186 – 201 |
18th |
2007 |
A.R. Lakshmanan |
202 – 234 |
19th |
2010 |
P.V. Reddi |
235 – 243 |
20th |
2013 |
D.K. Jain |
244 – 262 |
21st |
2016 |
Balbir Singh Chauhan |
263 – 277 |
22nd |
2019 |
Rituraj Awasthi |
278 – 281 |