Law Commission Chairperson Justice Rituraj Awasthi Resigns, to take Oath as Member Lokpal

The Chairperson of 22nd Law Commission Justice Rituraj Awasthi has resigned, today he will take oath of Lokpal as Member Justice.

Unnder his leadership, Law Commission made significant recommendations on laws regarding sedition, the POCSO Act, criminal defamation, ‘One Nation One Poll’, and initiated a feasibility study on the Uniform Civil Code, Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi is poised to be sworn in as one of the three judicial members of the Lokpal tomorrow.

Justice Awasthi has tendered his resignation as the Chairperson of the Law Commission before assuming his role as a judicial member of the Lokpal today. According to reliable sources, he has forwarded his resignation letter to the government. The tenure of the 22nd Law Commission extends until August 31, 2024.

Regarding the Uniform Civil Code, on June 14, 2023, the Law Commission posted a notice on its website inviting the public and recognized religious organizations to share their views and ideas on the matter. The 21st law panel, led by Justice B.S. Chauhan, had issued a consultation paper in 2018, expressing that the UCC was neither desirable nor necessary at the time, and further research was warranted.

However, under the leadership of Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, the 22nd law panel embarked on a fresh endeavor to explore the feasibility of implementing the UCC. It solicited input from political parties, religious and social organizations, foreign experts, and individuals, receiving an impressive 80 lakh responses.

Additionally, the panel engaged an agency to analyze the extensive feedback. Plans were in place to conduct seminars and debates on the UCC when Justice Awasthi, per a Rashtrapati Bhawan communique dated February 27, 2024, was appointed as one of the three judicial members of the Lokpal.

Sources within the Commission indicated that a report on the UCC would be submitted by the conclusion of the 22nd Law Commission’s term on August 31, 2024, and any pending tasks related to the feasibility study of the UCC would be undertaken by the panel’s full-time, ex-officio, and part-time members.

In addition to Chairperson Awasthi, the full-time members of the Commission include Justice K.T. Sankaran, Prof. Dr. Anand Paliwal, and Prof. D.P. Verma. The ex-officio members are Dr. Niten Chandra, Secretary, and the part-time members are Shri M. Karunanithi and Prof. (Dr.) Raka Arya.