Eighty reports of the law commission, which advises government on complex legal issues, are pending with various union ministries and departments with one of them awaiting a decision for the past 53 years.

The commission has so far submitted 236 reports to the law ministry which has in turn processed the documents and forwarded these to the concerned ministries for implementation.

According to figures available with the law ministry, a total of 156 reports have been implemented while two fresh reports - 'Conversion/reconversion to another religion: the mode of proof' and 'court fee in supreme court vis-a-vis corporate litigation' - were tabled in Parliament during the recently-concluded monsoon session.

Law commission's report number 13 on Contract Act, 1872 is pending with the legislative department of the law ministry since September 26, 1958.

The report was forwarded to the state governments and Union Territories for their comments. But Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry have not yet responded.

The law ministry had sent them fresh reminders to respond on February 28, 2011.

The 198th report of the law commission on witness identity protection and witness protection programmes is pending with the ministry of home affairs (MHA) since 2006.

As criminal law and criminal procedure are on the concurrent list of the 7th schedule to the Constitution, the report has been forwarded to the state governments and Union Territories for their suggestions and views.

While comments from most of the state governments have been received, those who have not conveyed their views to the MHA are being reminded regularly.

A law commission report recommending division of the supreme court into a Constitution Bench at Delhi and Cassation Benches in four regions at Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai has been rejected by the Government. Report number 229 was submitted to the department of justice in May, 2009.

The recommendations of the law commission are not binding on the government but help it take decisions which involve sensitive legal implementations.