Law panel moots common law for comunidade polls (ToI)

Law panel moots common law for comunidade polls TNN | Aug 1, 2013, 12.49 AM IST PANAJI: The Goa law commission sought suggestions and opinion from the public in order to draft a common bill that will govern elections to both, comunidades and devasthans in Goa. Goa law commission chairman advocate Narendra Sawaikar told TOI that the procedures for election of the managing committees and the office bearers as provided in the code of comunidades and devasthan regulations are substantially similar. Sawaikar said, "The law commission feels that in the changed circumstances there is a need to have a relook at the said provisions and to enact a common legislation streamlining the election procedure to both the bodies which would be more suited to the changed times and circumstances." Elaborating, Sawaikar said that despite the similarities in the election procedures for the two bodies, the procedures are complicated. For example, election petitions regarding comunidades have to be filed before the district court or the administrative tribunal. Petitions regarding devasthans have to be filed before the mamlatdars. "Both the election procedure and the procedure for filing of election petitions should be streamlined and made common. Presently, hearing of the election petitions are pending for several years," Sawaikar said. Sawaikar said that the law commission intends to prepare a report on the subject and to submit a draft of the proposed legislation to the government for its consideration. The Goa law commission is also working on compiling translations of all Portuguese laws that are still being used in Goa. "After liberation, we have continued with many Portuguese laws like family laws, code of comunidades, etc. Though some of the laws have been translated by senior lawyers, today's young lawyers are finding it difficult to get refer to them at a single place. That is why, we will request the senior lawyers to give us copies of the translations so that we can preserve and store them for reference of younger lawyers at a single place," Sawaikar said. He also said that a committee of lawyers may be constituted to help in translating other Portuguese laws and compiling them for the Goa law commission. Some of these include the Devasthan Regulations 1949, Divorce Act 1950, Civil Registration Regulations, 1950 and regulations regarding succession of properties. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Law-panel-moots-common-law-for-comunidade-polls/articleshow/21517103.cms