Laws must reflect needs of a modern society: Justice AP Shah

In light of the recent transformation our country has gone through, it is important to look at the legal framework and upgrade it, Justice AP Shah, former Chief justice of Delhi high court, said.

The former chief justice was speaking at a panel discussion titled 'Need for Institutionalisation of Repealing Laws' organised by the Centre for Civil Society (CCS). There is a need to update laws keeping recent Supreme Court judgements in mind, he said.

The panel discussion touched upon various aspects of laws that are obsolete and why the legislature should modernise them to reflect the current changes in the society.

Senior Advocate KTS Tulsi, Founder, Chairman of Kaden Bariss Global Hemant Batra, President of CCS Parth Shah, and Executive Editor of DNA Maneesh Chhibber were also part of the panel.

Batra said phasing out old laws are as important as introducing new ones. "However, the law must be adapted to the needs of the society. Laws cannot survive in a vaccum. The old must make way for the new to meet the challenges of the modern society," he said.

Tulsi suggested, the legislature must devote more time to the nitty-gritties of a law and debate every aspect of it. At six per cent, India has one of the lowest conviction rates in the world, he added. "Hygiene of the society depends on vibrant and well executed laws."

Chhibber suggested that the legislature and the executive must consider bringing in a pre-legislative consultation process before introducing new laws in the parliament; this, he added, would help bring about a discussion on the feasibility of the law on ground and its judicial impact.

TOPIC OF DISCUSSION

• The panel discussion touched upon various aspects of laws that are obsolete and why the legislature should modernise them to reflect the current changes in the society.