The reconstituted body of the law commission has prepared a 21-point work plan for next two years aiming at modernising some old laws and the judicial system of the country.

The commission has recently sent a draft work plan to the ministry of law, justice and parliamentary affairs for government opinion.

Sources said the commission in 13 years since its establishment has drafted as many as 88 recommendations, but except for only four or five, all of the recommendations were brushed aside as those were believably not in favour of successive governments.

Commission Chairman Justice MA Rashid said despite some shortcomings his office had prepared the work plan with a view to modernising the legal system and updating some old laws.

Talking to The Dally Star on September 24, Rashid also said his office would finalise the work plan after receiving opinion from the government.

As per the law concerned, the government will send its opinion, if any, on the work plan to the law commission by November 30 this year. The commission will then finalise the plan and inform the government about it by December 31, he said.

The work plan includes -- the reforma- tion of the judicial administration to make justice delivery system easily accessible, cheap, informal and speedy; review of the constitution of the republic; reformation of family laws; laws related to Chittagong Hill Tracts; labour laws; laws for protection of migrant workers; laws for maintenance and management of the government lands -- khas lands, vested and abandoned properties; reformation of the laws for pure and safe food; and reformation and consolidation of the laws of citizenship.

The plan farther comprises reformation of the Police Act 1861, Prisons Act 1894, Antiques Act 1968, laws concernin g NGOs, the Contempt of Courts Act 1926, laws for protection of environment, laws for protection of the consumer rights, laws of Intellectual Properties, the reformation and consolidation of the laws related to ground water management, wetland and open space conservation and against grabbing of river and canal water sources.

Amendment of certain provisions of Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000, Drug Control Act 1990, Anti Terrorism Act 2009, Smoke and Tobacco Control Act 2005, Shalish Act 2001, Cinematograph Act 1918, The Penal Code 1860, The Code of Civil Procedure 1908 and The Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, repealing the law of vested properties, Sarais Act 1867, Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act 1936 and Arya Marriage Validation Act 1937 and making new laws are also in the planning.