Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Thursday said legal reforms were essential for India's progress and called on state law commissions to identify outdated laws and recommend amendments or repeal wherever necessary, ANI reported.

Source: ANI via LatestLY

Radhakrishnan was inaugurating the National Conference on 'Co-operative Federalism and Law Reforms: National and State Perspectives', organised by the 23rd Law Commission of India at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Emphasising the spirit of 'Team India', he called for greater consultation, coordination and shared responsibility between the Centre and the States, IANS reported.

Source: IANS via hi INDiA

The Vice President said the replacement of the three colonial-era criminal laws was a major step towards reforming the country's legal system, and that the experience could serve as a model for state law commissions to help state governments review outdated laws, promote liberty and improve governance.

Cooperative federalism, he said, did not mean uniformity in every aspect of governance; it required cooperation between the Centre and the States while allowing States the flexibility to address their specific needs. He called for better coordination between the Law Commission of India, state law commissions and state law departments, and said the ultimate purpose of law was to ensure a just, secure and dignified life for every citizen.

Law Commission Chairperson Justice (Retd.) Dinesh Maheshwari told the conference that justice was a shared responsibility, and that citizens facing outdated laws, delayed cases or complicated procedures were concerned about whether the law worked effectively — not about whether the problem arose from a Union or a state law. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal was also present at the inauguration.