By IANS
New Delhi : Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan Friday lamented that many valuable Law Commission reports were “lying dormant” and asked the central government to consider implementing them.
“Many valuable reports (of the Law Commission) are lying dormant. I feel somebody should look into it,” said the chief justice, speaking at the release of the second edition of “Legislative Drafting: Shaping the Law for the New Millennium”.
The book, originally written by former legislative department secretary G. Rajagopaul, was revised and updated by Law Secretary T.K. Viswanathan.
Addressing the gathering, which included Law Minister H.R. Bharadwaj, Viswanathan and besides many legal luminaries, the Chief Justice said that laws should be drafted depending upon the needs of the people.
He said: “The underlying principle of the law is to bring greatest happiness to the greatest number of people.”
Presiding over the function, Bhardwaj said that the country’s legal system is growing rapidly and emerging as one of the best among various democracies.
Praising Viswanathan’s legal acumen in drafting laws, he said the law secretary, who earlier headed the Legislative Department of the ministry, was able to draft various bills overnight.
Speaking at the occasion, Viswanathan said legislative drafting was a discipline that needed continuous training.
Observing that the “ordinary citizen was affected by the laws from cradle to grave,” the law secretary said, “With the legislative machinery churning out a steady mass of legislation, it becomes necessary for the stakeholders to understand the law-making process.”
He said the law ministry was aspiring to produce drafts of international standards.