Former Supreme Court judge Balbir Singh Chauhan was on Thursday appointed as the Chairman of the 21st Law Commission, a post lying vacant since last September. “Govt. appoints Dr Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan, SC judge, as Chairman, 21st Law Commission,” Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda tweeted.
Justice Chauhan (66) is currently heading the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal. A judge of the Supreme Court from May 2009 to July 2014, he also served as the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court from July 2008 to May 2009.
The post of the Chairman was lying vacant since last September. Justice Ravi R Tripathi (62), a former judge of the Gujarat High Court, has been appointed as member of the law panel. He retired as judge last year in May. The Commission is reconstituted every three years and is usually headed by a retired Supreme Court judge or former Chief Justice of a high court. The panel will have to look at the issue of revamp of the criminal justice system and recommend a bail law to ensure uniformity in the procedure of granting the relief. .
The 21st Law Commission of India was constituted by the Government of India on 14th September, 2015 for a period of three years since September 1st, 2015 till 31st August, 2018.