NEW DELHI: The Law Commission of India is likely to recommend a comprehensive scheme for rehabilitation of victims of wrongful prosecution, The New Indian Express has learnt.
However, the 21st Law Commission may not be able to submit a report on review of the sedition law due to lack of time as the tenure of the panel is ending on August 31.
The two issues listed for discussion in the commission’s final meeting are: Possibility of holding simultaneous elections in the country, and wrongful prosecutions, according to sources.
They said that the panel was ready with draft reports on the two issues and, after a detailed discussion on the topics, the commission would submit its reports to the government. As reported first by The New Indian Express on April 11, the commission is likely to recommend holding of simultaneous elections in two phases, beginning in 2019.
On the issue of wrongful prosecution, the panel is likely to give suggestions for a compensation scheme for people who have been wrongly incarcerated for a criminal offence. Besides compensation, the commission is likely to propose other legal remedies for such ‘miscarriage of justice’, sources in the know said.
The commission has submitted 15 reports since its formation in 2016. Besides the two topics, the panel is preparing a working paper on “reforms in personal laws”. The panel decided to work on the subject while working on the contentious issue of having a Uniform Civil Code after figuring out that the UCC would require more time as several issues related to personal laws are pending before the Supreme Court. Though the panel is working hard to finalise a report on “reforms in personal laws” before the completion of its tenure, it may not be able to do so due to paucity of time. The working paper will be put in the public domain for consultation.