Kerala High Court Flags Failure Of K-SMART System For Removing Illegal Hoardings, Suggests WhatsApp-Based Complaint Model

The Kerala High Court on Thursday (15 January) flagged the failure of the K-SMART Grievance System for Removal of Illegal Hoarding. The Court has directed the authorities to adopt a WhatsApp-based system used by the Local Self Government Department in dealing with waste dumping.Justice Devan Ramachandran was considering a review in a plea against illegal and unauthorized flags and banners....

"Can Oath Be Taken In Name Of Living Persons Or Godmen?" Kerala High Court To Examine Validity Of Trivandrum Councillors' Oaths

The Kerala High Court on Thursday (15 January) issued notice on a writ petition challenging the oath taken by the Councillors of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation in the name of various deities, martyrs and political movements.Justice P V Kunhikrishnan, has admitted the petition, observing that whether an oath can be taken in the name of "living person, teacher, god man", etc needs to...

Delhi High Court To Sit On First And Third Saturdays Every Month

The Delhi High Court will be functioning on first and third Saturdays of each month.The decision has been taken by the Full Court in its meeting held on December 22, 2025. “It has been resolved by Hon'ble the Full Court in its meeting held on 22.12.2025 that the first and third Saturdays of every month shall be Court sitting days for the Court,” a notice issued by Registrar General...

Poultry Farm Can't Operate 50 Metres From Residential Area Despite Having Less Than 5,000 Birds: Himachal Pradesh High Court

The Himachal Pradesh High Court held that siting criteria for poultry farms apply independently of the number of birds being reared, and that no poultry farm—small or large can be permitted to operate within 500 metres of a residential area. The Court directed the immediate closure of a poultry farm situated barely 50–60 metres from residential houses in District Kangra.The Court...

'Erroneous': Gujarat High Court Quashes Order Declining Execution Of Consensual Divorce Decree Over Property Dispute Between Parties

The Gujarat High Court quashed a family court order which refused to execute a decree of divorce by mutual consent, observing that when the husband and wife had agreed to compromise decree with conditions and not to go for adjudication of rights then family court had no option but to execute it.The court was hearing a man's plea challenging a family court's order which had refused to execute...

P&H High Court Declines Pre-Arrest Bail To Court Clerk Accused Of Tampering Traffic Challans, Says Custodial Interrogation Needed

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to a court employee accused of colluding with police personnel and court staff to tamper with traffic challans in exchange for illegal gratification, holding that custodial interrogation was necessary for a fair and effective investigation.Justice Sumeet Goel said, "As per the case set up by prosecution, the petitioner...

Justice May Be Tempered With Mercy In Exceptional Cases: J&K&L High Court Allows Symbolic Possession In Migrant Property Eviction Dispute

While reaffirming that justice must ordinarily be administered strictly in the manner prescribed by law, the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has underscored that in exceptional factual situations, courts cannot remain indifferent to human consequences.Observing that rigid statutory compliance may, in rare cases, require to be balanced with compassion, the Court held that justice...

Delhi High Court Bar Association Felicitates CJI Surya Kant, Urges For More Elevations From Bar

The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) on Thursday felicitated Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, to honor his appointment as the country's top most judge.The felicitation function was organised by the lawyers' body in the lobby of Main Court Building, 'A' Block of the High Court.Lauding the DHCBA and its efforts over the years, CJI Kant said that having a membership of...

Auction Cancellation Must Be Based On Objective Criteria, Not Post-Facto Subjective Satisfaction: Rajasthan High Court

The Rajasthan High Court held that whether an auction bid was fair or competitive was not a post-facto subjective notion, rather an assessment founded on objective criteria, demonstrable from the auction proceedings themselves and recorded contemporaneously with clarity and specificity.While setting aside unilateral and unreasoned cancellation of auction post acceptance of deposit by the...

Appeal Against Acquittal In Bailable Offences Lies Only Before High Court, Not Sessions Court: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court recently set aside a conviction order passed by a Sessions Court, which had held the accused guilty of causing death by negligence. The High Court found that the State Government had wrongly filed an appeal before the Sessions Court challenging the order of acquittal passed by the trial court, even though the Sessions Court had no jurisdiction to entertain such...

HMA | Second Marriage During Subsistence Of First Marriage Doesn't Get Legitimized Upon Death Of First Wife: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court has held that solemnisation of second marriage, which is void ab initio, by a Hindu man during subsistence of his first marriage does not get legitimised/legalised upon the death of the first wife. While deciding the plea of the second wife of an ex-government employee for grant of family pension, the Division Bench of Justice Dixit Krishna Shripad and Justice...

Disciplinary Authority Can't Impose Major And Minor Penalty Simultaneously By Single Order: Patna High Court

The Patna High Court has held that a major punishment and a minor punishment cannot be “packaged” into a single composite order and imposed simultaneously. A Single Judge Bench of Justice Sandeep Kumar was hearing a writ petition filed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police challenging the punishment order by which he was visited with the penalty of withholding of five increments...