New Delhi, Aug 23: The Union Cabinet today gave its nod to three accords on cooperation in the field of justice between India and China, stepping up cooperation in tourism with Malaysia and an agreement with Kuwait on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. Ex-post facto approval was given to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in justice which was signed on June 23 this year in Beijing during Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to China. The MoU provides for cooperation in exchange of information on legal matters, exchange of experience and best practices in the field of justice, mutual support for training of public prosecutors and auxiliary judicial personnel and exchange of information on drafting of laws and implementation of legal provisions. The accord is the outcome of the Attorney General's visit to China last year to participate in a seminar on judges and lawyers, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told reporters. The agreement with Kuwait, signed on June five, 2002, also got the cabinet approval. It seeks to improve the effectiveness of both countries in the investigation, prosecution and suppression of all types of crime, and tracing, restraint, forfeiture or confiscation of the proceeds and instruments of crime through cooperation and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
The assistance, however, may be refused if the execution of the request would impair its sovereignty, security, public order or other essential interests.
Bureau Report