Court Culture As A Missing Variable In Judicial Reform

Judicial reform in India cannot be reduced to vacancies, infrastructure and technology. These matter, but the everyday culture of courts decides whether formal reforms actually improve access, quality and trust.India's judicial reform debate usually begins with pendency. This is understandable. The National Judicial Data Grid shows a huge burden on district and taluka courts, with lakhs of cases pending for more than 10 years. It also shows a recurring gap between institution and disposal in the...

GST Arrests Post Radhika Agarwal V. Union of India: Has Supreme Court Redefined Tax Investigations?

For many businesses facing GST investigations today, the process itself often becomes the punishment. Notices are issued; documents are asked for; top management is being called upon so many times, and arrest, even without the final assessment, is a looming possibility. Many taxpayers have already alleged that the threat of arrest is itself used as a pressure tactic during the...

Increase In Supreme Court Strength Through Ordinance-A Critique

It has become fashionable to talk of increasing the judge-strength to cope with the mounting work and pendency in courts. That is spoken of even about the highest court. Such talk is translated into action by increasing the number of judges. The Constitution originally fixed the strength of the Supreme Court to be eight-the Chief Justice of India and seven other judges. The Constitution enables Parliament by law to increase the strength. That has been done quite a few times over the 76 years of...

Before Passing Laws, India Must Forecast Court Burden—Starting With Tribunals

The Chief Justice of India has reportedly constituted a Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee to assess the infrastructural requirements of courts across the country and support a demand for nearly Rs. 40,000-50,000 crore in government funding. The figure is striking, but the deeper issue is timing. India usually counts judicial capacity after pendency has accumulated, after vacancies have slowed disposal, after courtrooms have become inadequate, and after litigants have already paid for...

Corruption In Judiciary Cannot Be Whistled Away

The judiciary is the last institution Indians are told to trust when everything else fails. That is precisely why even the suggestion of corruption, pressure, or influence within it is so disturbing. The latest remarks reported from the Madras High Court, along with the separate episode last year in which a judicial member of the NCLAT Chennai Bench recused himself after saying he had been approached under pressure, have reopened an uncomfortable but necessary debate: how resilient is judicial...

A Flawed Interpretation Of Section 468 Cr.P.C. By The Apex Court In Roma Ahuja's Case And An Equally Flawed Provision In The “Explanation” To Section 514(3) BNSS

A FLAWED INTERPRETATION OF SECTION 468 Cr.P.C BY THE APEX COURT IN ROMA AHUJA'S CASE (2026 LiveLaw (SC) 351) AND AN EQUALLY FLAWED PROVISION IN THE “EXPLANATION” TO SECTION 514 (3) BNSSC O N T E N T SSl. NoI N N E R T I T L E SPARA No1Facts leading to the above verdictChronology of relevant datesExtracts from the judgment in Roma Ahuja's caseNOTES BY THE AUTHORNOTES BY THE AUTHOR123332The fallacy behind the above conclusion of the Apex Court43THE MECHANICS OF THE CURIAL ACT OF TAKING...

Revisiting Age, Consent And Criminalisation Under POCSO Act, 2012

On 10 January 2026, the Supreme Court in State of Uttar Pradesh v. Anurudh[1] urged the Union Government to consider introducing a Romeo-Juliet clause under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. The suggestion reflects a growing judicial concern that a statute enacted to protect a “child” from sexual exploitation is increasingly being invoked against adolescents involved in consensual relationships. The challenge under POCSO is not the age of consent itself, but the...

When Punjab Pays Twice: Hidden Cost Of How State Arbitrates

Picture this. A contractor files a claim of about eleven crore rupees against the Punjab government. After a long arbitration, he is awarded six and a half crore — far less than what he asked for, a result the State should be relieved by. And yet, by the time interest at eighteen per cent is added on for the years before, during, and after the proceedings, the State ends up shelling out close to twenty crore rupees. The interest alone is more than twice the principal. The taxpayer pays. Quietly....

From Meme To Movement; Constitutional Anxiety Beneath India's “Cockroach Janta Party”

Democracies often reveal their deepest institutional anxieties not during elections, but during moments of ridicule. The recent rise of the so-called “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) may initially appear to be another transient internet phenomenon driven by memes and satire. However, the extraordinary public resonance surrounding the movement indicates that it reflects something far more significant than digital humour. Beneath the irony lies a serious constitutional conversation concerning freedom...

Disgorgement As A Regulatory Remedy Under SEBI Act

Disgorgement is a legal remedy that helps restore fairness and prevent future wrongdoing. It requires a court or regulatory authority to force a wrongdoer to give up profits or benefits gained through misconduct. Unlike compensatory damages, which are meant to repay victims for their losses, disgorgement aims to strip offenders of their unjust profits. The main idea is that no one should benefit from illegal, fraudulent, or unethical actions.In securities regulation, especially under the system...

After Article 370: Has Justice Reached Kashmir's Forgotten Detainees?

Ever since Article 370 was removed in 2019, the phrase “new Kashmir” has been repeated again and again. News channels spoke about development, integration, investment, tourism, and peace. Slowly, Kashmir started being shown more through beautiful tourist spots, hotels, tulip gardens, and growing business opportunities. Anyone looking from outside would think that Kashmir has finally moved ahead from its painful past and entered a completely peaceful and developed phase.But as someone coming from...

Harshit Sharma Case ; Paradox Of Colonial Honors In Democratic India

The Allahabad High Court judgment in Harshit Sharma v. State of U.P (Criminal Miscellaneous Writ Petition No. 4982 of 2026) that the honorific 'Hon'ble' is a legal requirement when it comes to referring to constitutional functionaries such as MPs, judges, and ministers in FIRs raises extremely serious constitutional issues as it justifies this requirement on the basis of protecting the dignity of constitutional offices. However, this challenges some of the core commitments of the...