Verdict Is Final, But Judge Still Speaks

Former Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud's comments on the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi issue, reported in an interview with Sreenivasan Jain, have reignited national debate. One of the statements that gained notice was his description of the mosque's construction as a “fundamental act of desecration,” along with his view that archaeological evidence supported this conclusion (Staff, 2025).These statements, coming from someone who once occupied the highest seat in the judiciary, carry more weight...

Beyond Marriage | Navigating Protection, Maintenance, And Equity In India's Evolving Social Landscape

When Anjali and Rajesh moved in together in Pune five years ago, they considered it a natural progression of their relationship. They shared expenses, responsibilities, and even rented a home jointly. However, when the relationship ended abruptly, Anjali was left struggling to pay the rent and manage her life alone. Confused and anxious, she wondered whether she had any legal recourse. Stories like hers are increasingly common in urban India, where social norms are shifting faster than legal...

From Planting Saplings And Serving Cows To Tying Rakhi: A Look At Bizarre Bail Conditions Imposed By High Courts

Recently, the Supreme Court set aside a Madhya Pradesh High Court order suspending the sentence of a murder convict, holding that the condition imposed -requiring the appellant to plant ten saplings of fruit-bearing, neem, or peepal trees “as a matter of social cause” -cannot withstand the test of bail jurisprudence. The Court expressed displeasure over such directions, observing that reformative measures or acts of social responsibility cannot serve as standalone substitutes for the statutory...

Intersectional Injustice In India's GST Regime

A few years ago, Renu, a transgender woman, was pushed out of a moving bus by angry passengers while she was begging for alms. The fall injured her legs, left her immobile, and limited her social and economic life. For Renu, a mobility vehicle signifies her hope to regain access to community and livelihood opportunities. However, with effect from October 8th, the GST Concession Certificate Scheme for Persons with Disabilities was discontinued, which previously allowed purchase of mobility...

Demurrer And Party Autonomy: Supreme Court Reaffirms Fairness As Cornerstone Of Procedure

When can a court dismiss a case without even examining the evidence? This question lies at the heart of the plea of demurrer, a procedural device that allows the court to test whether a claim—assuming every fact stated by the plaintiff is true—still stands in law. While it was designed to promote procedural efficiency, its misuse in recent years has increasingly resulted in premature dismissals and denial of fair hearing.In Urban Infrastructure Real Estate Fund v. Neelkanth Realty Pvt. Ltd.,...

The Duty To Decide

Widespread media reports concerning the litigation of Indian Forest Service officer and Magsaysay awardee Sanjiv Chaturvedi point to an extraordinary sequence of judicial recusals extending over a decade. Sixteen judges and members across the Supreme Court, the High Courts of Uttarakhand and Allahabad, several benches of the Central Administrative Tribunal and courts of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrates at Nainital and Shimla have withdrawn from hearing his petitions. Each withdrawal,...

Legal Labyrinth: Agent As Executant Under Registration Act

“Executing”, a seemingly innocuous expression in Part VI of the Registration Act, 1908 (Of Presenting Documents for Registration) has bemused judges of the Privy Council, High Courts and the Supreme Court over the last century. The latest testament to this is the Supreme Court's judgment dated July 15th, 2025 in the case of G. Kalawathi Bai vs G. Shashikala & Others (2025 LiveLaw (SC) 706), in which a two-judge bench of the Court doubted the correctness of a coordinate bench's decision in...

Reassessing Burden Of Proof In Indian Election Disputes

Free and fair elections are the foundational pillars of any functional democracy. To secure this ideal, the Constitution of India entrusts the Parliament and the Election Commission with the responsibility of ensuring electoral integrity. Among the legislative instruments enabling this, the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RPA, 1951) governs the conduct of elections, defines corrupt practices, and provides for adjudication of election disputes by the High Courts and the Supreme...

Admission As A Secondary Evidence- Critical Analysis

Sections 15 to 21 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) deal with the term “Admission”. Section 15 of BSA defines "admission" as a statement in oral, documentary or contained in electronic form that suggests any inference as to any fact in issue or a relevant fact which is made by any of the persons, and under the circumstances, mentioned in Sections 16 to 21 of the Adhiniyam. So the definition of “Admission” provided in section 15 of BSA is not independently exhaustive and it depends on the...

CLAT: Common By Name, Rare In Access

Every nation reveals its idea of justice in how it tests its children. Long before they enter a courtroom or a legislature, students experience what fairness feels like through the exams that decide their futures. If a system rewards privilege as talent and fluency as intelligence, it does not merely measure aptitude; it teaches inequality.On October 15, 2025, the Consortium of National Law Universities announced a plan to reform the Common Law Admission Test. At its fourth Advisory Board...

Of Apples And Oranges: Rethinking The Comparison Between Advocates And Judicial Officers

When the Supreme Court recently, while deciding whether Judicial Officers with 7 years of prior Law practice are eligible for appointment of District Judges under Bar quota remarked that the Judicial Officers possess greater experience than Advocates (REJANISH K.V. vs. K. DEEPA), it has raised a subtle yet intriguing question - What does being “experienced” in law truly mean? The Courtroom is where two worlds meet - the relentless dynamism of the Bar and the anchored steadiness...

No Royal Titles In A Republic: Rajasthan High Court's Direction To Members Of Erstwhile Ruling Family Of Jaipur

When the Constituent Assembly on 9th December 1948 introduced the Draft Constitution containing Article 12 (now Article 18[1]) of the Indian Constitution, it was applauded as a reform that would uphold the principle of equality and democracy among the different classes of people.Article 18[2] of the Indian Constitution prohibits states from conferring any titles (except academic or military) and forbids Indian citizens from accepting titles from any foreign state. It further bans government...