Odisha Reconstitutes State Law Commission, Justice Biswanath Rath (Retd.) Appointed as Chairperson
Kiran Raj
The Government of Odisha has formally reconstituted the Odisha State Law Commission (OSLC), with Justice Biswanath Rath, former Judge of the Orissa High Court, appointed as the Chairperson. The reconstitution was carried out in accordance with a resolution issued by the Law Department on March 16, 2016, and published in the Extraordinary Gazette.
The official notification detailed the composition of the Commission as follows:
- Chairperson: Justice Biswanath Rath, Former Judge, High Court of Orissa.
- Ex-Officio Members:
- Pitambar Acharya, Advocate General, Odisha.
- Principal Secretary to Government, Law Department.
- Members:
- Surya Prakash Mishra, Senior Advocate.
- Soura Chandra Mohapatra, Senior Advocate.
- Member Secretary: Secretary of the Commission, who is also the ex-officio Additional Secretary to the Government.
The notification stated, “In pursuance to the Resolution of the Government of Odisha in the Law Department No. 2412-LRC-01/2016-L, dated the 16th March 2016 published in the Extraordinary issue of the Odisha Gazette No. 492, dated the 16th March 2016, the State Government do hereby appoint Shri Justice Biswanath Rath as the Chairperson, Sri Surya Prakash Mishra, Sr. Advocate, and Sri Soura Chandra Mohapatra, Sr. Advocate as Members of the Odisha State Law Commission.”
The OSLC has been entrusted with the responsibility of reviewing existing State laws and identifying those relevant to Odisha under the concurrent list. Its primary tasks include:
- Assessing the necessity of existing laws and identifying obsolete provisions.
- Recommending the repeal, substitution, or modification of laws, either partially or in their entirety.
The tenure for the Chairperson and non-official members is set at three years from the date of assuming office or until they reach the age of seventy, whichever is earlier.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had previously announced the State’s intent to modernize its legal framework by identifying and repealing obsolete laws. “Our laws must be appropriate to the changing times. There are many obsolete laws which have no relevance today. These are being identified. Soon, these laws will be repealed,” stated the Chief Minister.
The reconstituted Commission is expected to examine legal frameworks, propose necessary reforms, and address any inconsistencies within the legislative system.
