The Law Division of the Commission is headed by the Registrar (Law) and supported by Presenting Officers, a Joint Registrar, Deputy Registrars, Assistant Registrars, Section Officers, and other administrative staff.

This Division is responsible for the registration and disposal of approximately 1,00,000 cases annually. These cases are based on complaints of human rights violations received either directly from the victims or from the third parties acting on their behalf, or through the official notifications concerning incidents such as custodial deaths, custodial rapes, deaths resulting from police action/inaction, or through suo motu cognizance by the Commission. The Division also acts upon directions or orders issued by the courts. In addition to complaints, the Division handles reports of deaths occurring in police or judicial custody, as well as in the custody of the armed forces or paramilitary forces. The Division also takes suo motu cognizance of extreme violations of human rights. All complaints received by the Commission are first assigned a diary number and are subsequently reviewed and processed using the Complaint Management and Information System (CMIS), a dedicated software platform. Once registered, complaints are presented before the Commission for directions, and the Division oversees all subsequent action until the final resolution of each case. Matters of significant public interest are considered by the Full Commission, while cases involving custodial deaths or deaths due to police action are typically handled by Division Benches. Additionally, certain high-profile cases are heard in open court sessions. The Division organizes camp sittings in various state capitals, which expedites the resolution of pending cases. The Commission also holds open hearings on atrocities against Scheduled Castes to facilitate direct engagement with affected individuals. Furthermore, the Division provides expert opinions and recommendations on Bills and draft legislations referred to it, with the aim of strengthening the protection and promotion of human rights.

The Division has published key documents, including “NHRC & HRDs: The Growing Synergy.” It also maintains a dedicated Focal Point for Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), who is available 24/7 and can be reached through the following channels:

       i. Mobile No.: +91-9999393570

       ii. Fax: 011-24651334

       iii. Email: hrd-nhrc@nic.in