Bill introduced in Lok Sabha to repeal 71 laws which are not in use

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A bill to repeal 71 laws that have outlived their usefulness on the statute books was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday (December 15).

While 65 bills are amendment acts, which were brought to replace existing laws, there are six major laws that have become obsolete.

At least one law which is proposed to be repealed dates back to the British period – the Indian Tramways Act of 1886.

This law was brought to facilitate the construction of tramways and regulate their functioning in British India.

The purpose of the proposed Repeal and Amendment Bill is not to abolish colonial laws but to remove those Acts which have outlived their usefulness.

“Once an amendment is passed by Parliament, it gets incorporated into the main law. It only clutters the statute books. Its use has ended, but it still exists, causing confusion,” an official said.

So far 1,562 old laws have been abolished. Once the proposed bill gets Parliament’s approval, the total number of laws to be repealed will reach 1,633.

Since May 2014, the Modi government has been continuously repealing colonial-era, outdated and obsolete laws to clutter the statute books.

Successive Union Law Ministers have said that obsolete laws are a hindrance in the normal life of common people and have no relevance in the present times, nor do they deserve to remain on the statute books.

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Clause 4 of the Bill contains a precautionary provision which is usual to be included in this type of Bill.

It states that the repeal by the proposed Act of any Act shall not affect any other Act to which the repealed Act is applied, incorporated or referred to.