Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his government is focussing on drafting laws in Indian languages and in a manner that is simple to understand.
He made these remarks while inaugurating the International Lawyers’ Conference in the presence of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice of the United Kingdom Alex Chalk K.C.
Attorney General R. Venkataramani, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Bar Council of India chairman and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra and several judges of the Supreme Court were also present.
“We in the Indian government are thinking that law should be produced in two ways. One draft will be in the language you are used to,” he told the audience which was mainly made up of legal professionals.
“The second draft will be in a language which the country’s common man can understand. He should consider the law his own,” he added, noting that laws were being drafted in a complex manner.
Mr. Modi said his government “made the first beginning” in the Data Protection law and also welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to provide the operative part of a judgment to the litigant in his or her own language.
The Prime Minister also flagged concerns about cyber terrorism, money laundering and the use of artificial intelligence for destructive purposes. He said these crimes transcend boundaries and jurisdiction and called for collaborative efforts between different countries.
Citing the example of cooperation between air traffic control systems of all countries to ensure safe air travel, Mr. Modi said preparing a global framework to deal with these dangers is not about one government or country. “When danger is global, then the manner to deal with it should also be global,” he said.
Lauding the legal fraternity, he said the judiciary and the Bar have long been protectors of India’s justice system and pointed out that Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel were all lawyers.
The conference, he said, is happening at a time when India has witnessed several historic moments and mentioned the passage of the women’s reservation Bill in Parliament, the G-20 Summit and the successful Chandrayaan mission.
