'I have a lot of time to push more reforms', says confident Modi
Speaking at the International Lawyers’ Conference organised by the Bar Council of India in Delhi, the PM underlined the need to simplify laws for the public.
The law reserving 33% seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures will provide new direction and energy to women-led development in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, adding that he still has a lot of time to push for more reforms, a statement exuding confidence that he would be voted back to power in the 2024 general elections.
Speaking at the International Lawyers’ Conference organised by the Bar Council of India in the national capital, Modi underlined the need to simplify laws for the public, and said the central government is working on a proposal to have two drafts of every legislation: one that may have legal terminologies and the other in a much simpler form for everyone to understand.
“Citizens should feel that the law belongs to them. We are trying to find a solution to that. The language in which laws are written plays a huge role in the accessibility of justice,” Modi said. “The 75-year-old system has been structured in a particular way and it can take some time to change it. I still have a lot of work and also a lot of time to do it.”
The Prime Minister cited the recently enacted Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023 to say that his government has been making efforts to draft new laws in simple language. The lawyers’ conference was taking place at a time when the nation has seen several historic decisions, referring to the passage of Women’s Reservation Bill (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) by Parliament, he underlined.
“Nari Shakti Vandan Act will give new direction and energy to women-led development in India,” Modi said two days after the 106th amendment to the Constitution to reserve a third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and states legislatures for women was approved.
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The world got a glimpse of India’s democracy, demography and diplomacy at the recent G20 Summit in New Delhi, Modi said while citing India’s success in becoming the first nation in the world to successfully land Chandrayaan-3 near the lunar south pole.
With Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud in attendance, Modi emphasised that experience of the legal profession has worked to strengthen the foundation of independent India. “Today’s impartial and independent judicial system has also helped in bolstering the confidence of the world in India,” said Modi, adding that strong, independent and unbiased foundations for the legal system in India is needed to achieve the goal of becoming a developed nation.
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Modi also called for devising a global system of interconnected laws to deal with borderless crimes, such as cyber terrorism, money laundering and misuse of artificial intelligence. “There are many forces in the world today that do not care about the borders and jurisdiction. When dangers are global, ways to deal with them should also be global,” he said, stressing that preparing a global framework on such issues goes beyond just governments and calls for the legal frameworks of different countries to be aligned.
Speaking on alternate dispute resolution and the enactment of the new mediation law by the government to encourage pre-litigation resolution, Modi said that with the increasing complexity of commercial transactions, alternate ways to resolve disputes have gained currency. “In order to formalise the informal tradition of dispute resolution in India, the government enacted a Mediation Act. Similarly, Lok Adalats are also playing a big role. In the last six years, Lok Adalats have settled about 7 lakh cases at a pre-litigation stage,” he said.
He lauded the Supreme Court for translating its judgments into different regional languages, calling it a monumental change in the judicial system that would go a long way in helping litigants. “I have publicly appreciated justice Chandrachud when he declared that operative part of the judgments of the Supreme Court will be made available in the languages that litigants speak,” he said.
Modi concluded his address asserting the need to find ways of streamlining legal processes through technology, reforms and innovations. “Technological advancement has opened new avenues for the judicial system,” the Prime Minister said, making an appeal to leverage technological reforms by the legal profession.
Law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, attorney general R Venkataramani, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, Bar Council chairman Manan Kumar Mishra and British Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk were present on the occasion.
The International Lawyer’s Conference 2023 is being organized by the Bar Council on the theme of “Emerging Challenges in Justice Delivery System” on September 23 and 24. It aims to serve as a platform for meaningful dialogue and discussion on various legal topics of national and international importance, foster exchange of ideas and experiences and strengthen international cooperation and understanding of legal issues.
The conference, which is being organised for the first time in the country, will discuss topics such as emerging legal trends, challenges in cross-border litigation, legal technology and environmental law, among others. The event will witness the participation of judges, legal professionals, and other leaders of the global legal fraternity.