Ministry of Law and Justice

About Ministry

• Ministry of Law and Justice is the oldest limb of the Government of India dating back to 1833 when the Charter Act 1833 enacted by the British Parliament. The said Act vested for the first time legislative power in a single authority, namely the Governor General in Council. By virtue of this authority and the authority vested under him under section 22 of the Indian Councils Act 1861 the Governor General in Council enacted laws for the country from 1834 to 1920.
• After the commencement of the Government of India Act 1919 the legislative power was exercised by the Indian Legislature constituted thereunder. The Government of India Act 1919 was followed by the Government of India Act 1935.
• With the passing of the Indian Independence Act 1947 India became a Dominion and the Dominion Legislature made laws from 1947 to 1949 under the provisions of section 100 of the Government of India Act 1935 as adapted by the India (Provisional Constitution) Order 1947. Under the Constitution of India which came into force on the 26th January 1950 the legislative power is vested in Parliament.
• The Ministry comprises the following departments: 

• • Department of Legal Affairs
    • Advice to Ministries on legal matters including interpretation of the Constitution and the laws, conveyancing and engagement of counsel to appear on behalf of the Union of India in the High Courts and subordinate courts where the Union of India is a party. Attorney General of India, Solicitor General of India, and other Central Government law officers of the States whose services are shared by the Ministries of the Government of India.

• • Legislative Department
    • The Legislative Department is mainly concerned with drafting of all principal legislation for the Central Government i.e. Bills to be introduced in Parliament, Ordinances to be promulgated by the President, measures to be enacted as President’s Acts for States under the President’s rule and Regulations to be made by the President for Union territories. It is also concerned with election Laws namely the Representation of the People Act 1950 and the Representation of the People Act 1951. In addition it is also entrusted with task of dealing with certain matters relating to List III of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution like personal law, contracts evidence etc. The responsibility of maintaining up to date the statutes enacted by Parliament is also with this Department.

• • Department of Justice
    • The Department of Justice performs the administrative functions in relation to the appointment of various judges at various courts in India, maintenance and revision of the conditions and rules of service of the judges and other related areas.

 

E-COURTS INTEGRATED MISSION MODE PROJECT

• The e-Courts Integrated Mission Mode Project (Phase I 2010-15; Phase II 2015-19) is a National e-Governance Projects (NeGP), in line with the Digital India Programme of the Gol
• The project has been conceptualized on the basis of the “National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary-2005” submitted by the e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India.

Objectives

• • To provide designated services to litigants, lawyers and Judiciary by making the whole judicial system ICT enabled.

Salient Features

• • It is one of the e-Governance projects being implemented in High Courts and district/subordinate courts of the country.
  • The portal provides online services to litigants such as details of case registration, cause list, case status, daily orders, and final judgments.
  • It is achieved through –
    • 1. Provision of adequate and modern hardware and connectivity in all district and subordinate courts in the country (LAN, WAN, standard application software etc.)
      2. Up gradation of existing ICT Infrastructure of Supreme Court and all High Courts/ Benches Automation of workflow management in all courts
      3. Electronic movement of records from taluka/trial to appeal courts
      4. Installation of video conferencing (VC) facility & recording of witness through VC Connecting all courts in the country to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) through WAN
      5. Citizen centric facilities such as electronic filing, e-payment & use of mobile applications in all courts Touch screen based kiosks in each court complex
      6. Full computerisation of State and district level judicial and service academies and centres.

 

National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)

• • • Part of e-Courts Integrated Mission Mode Project.
    • NJDG will work as a monitoring tool to identify, manage & reduce pendency of cases.
    • It will also help to provide timely inputs for making policy decisions to reduce delay and arrears in the system, facilitate better monitoring of court performance and systemic bottlenecks, and, thus, facilitate better resource management.
    • NJDG will cover all categories of cases, including those relating to juvenile justice system.

 

NYAYA MITRA

Objectives

• • Reducing pendency of cases across selected districts, with special focus on those pending for more than 10 years.

Salient Features

• • Functionalized through a retired judicial or executive officer (with legal experience) designated as the ‘Nyaya Mitra’, the project would be operated out of District Facilitation Centres, housed in CSCs.
  • Nyaya Mitra’s responsibilities would include among others assistance to litigants who are suffering due to delay in investigations or trial, by actively identifying such cases through the National Judicial Data Grid, providing legal advice and connecting litigants to DLSA, CSC Tele Law, other government agencies and civil society organisations.
  • He/she shall also refer the marginalized applicants to Lok Adalats for dispute resolution and render assistance towards prison reforms within the district, in coordination with the district judiciary and other stakeholders.

 

PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICE

Objectives

• • To encourage lawyers and legal professionals to provide pro bono legal services (for the public good without fees)
  • To create a database capturing vital information of lawyers for appropriate positions in the relevant position.

Salient Features

• • It is a web based platform, through which interested lawyers can register themselves to volunteer pro bono services for the underprivileged litigants, who are unable to afford it.
  • Through this online portal, litigants from marginalised communities can apply for legal aid and advice from the pro bono lawyers.
  • It aims to create a database capturing vital information of lawyers for appropriate positions in the relevant field.

 

OTHER SCHEMES/INITIATIVES OF MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE

 

To read and learn about Government Schemes and Programs related to other Ministries, Click Here.  (Notes on all Government Ministries Schemes and Programs)