Lack Of Mandatory Jail Sentence For Hate Speech Crimes Serious Matter : Kerala High Court Flags Issue To Parliament & Law Commission

While denying anticipatory bail to BJP leader PC George in a case for making remarks against the Muslim community, the Kerala High Court expressed concerns about the rising frequency of statements based on caste and religion."Nowadays, there is a tendency to make statements based on religion, caste etc. These are against the basic structure of our Constitution. These tendencies should be...

[Arbitration Act] Referral Courts Can't Indulge In Enquiry Into Whether Claims Are Time-Barred: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court bench of Justice Shampa Sarkar has held that in an application under section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 996, it would not be proper for the referral court to indulge in an intricate evidentiary enquiry into the question of whether the claims raised by the petitioner were time-barred or not. “Courts, at the referral stage, can interfere only...

Ensure Public Amenities Do Not Suffer: Punjab & Haryana HC Scraps FCI Tender, Directs Issuance Of Fresh Notification Expeditiously

The Punjab & Haryana High Court scrapped the tender floated by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) with the direction to issue fresh notification so that public amenities do not suffer.Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Vikas Suri said, "This Court is constrained to after accepting the writ petition, to pass a mandamus upon the respondent to scrap the subject tender, thus, for...

Deserves Serious Attention: Karnataka HC Issues Notice On PIL Against Conferment Of Cabinet Rank To 42 MLAs & Legislative Council Members

The Karnataka High Court on Friday issued notice to the State Government on a public interest litigation filed questioning the government notification appointing 42 Members of the Legislative Assembly and Members of the Legislative Council to the various boards, corporations, and other posts and conferring them with Cabinet rank and providing pecuniary benefits. A division bench...

Madras HC Orders Reopening Of Temple In Villupuram Sealed Over Caste Conflicts, Asks Govt To Act In Case Of Law & Order Problems

The Madras High Court has ordered reopening of a temple in Villupuram which was sealed in 2023 following caste related conflicts. Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department to reopen the Draupadi Amman temple. The court asked the government to take action against any person who attempted to create law and order problems. In March last...

'Purpose Is Different, Don't Want Personal Info': State Govt To Uttarakhand HC On Plea Against UCC Form Asking Live-In Couples' Private Details

On Friday, the State Government submitted before the Uttarakhand High Court that the purpose of including the provision in the State's Uniform Civil Code (UCC) related to compulsory registration (of Live-In Relationships) through Aadhaar and the requirement to submit proof of previous relationships is different and that the state does not seek people's private or...

ITAT Cannot Overstep Its Authority By Deciding On Merits When It Had Already Concluded Appeal Was Not Maintainable: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court stated that ITAT cannot overstep its authority by deciding on merits when it has already concluded an appeal was not maintainable. The Division Bench of Justices M.S. Sonak and Jitendra Jain observed that “Once the ITAT concluded that the Appeal before it against the impugned communication/order was not “maintainable”, there was no question of...

Kerala High Court Denies Anticipatory Bail To BJP Leader P C George In Hate Speech Case

The Kerala High Court today dismissed the anticipatory bail application filed by BJP leader PC George, booked for allegedly making hate speech against the Muslim community during a channel debate.Justice P V Kunhikrishnan dismissed the bail application. The allegation against PC George was that he made remarks against the Muslim community, stating that they are terrorist and communalists. It...

Maha Shivaratri: Madras HC Seeks TNPCB's Report On Allegations That Isha Foundation Flouted Pollution Norms During Celebrations Last Year

The Madras High Court has called for a report from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board in a plea seeking directions to the authorities to desist issuing permission to conduct Maha Shivaratri celebrations at Isha Foundation in light of violations of pollution norms in previous celebrations. The bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice K Rajasekar asked Additional Advocate General...

'In Larger Interest Of Country': Madras HC Recommends Resuming Reservation Of 2 Seats In MBBS/BDS Course For PM Rashtriya Bal Puraskar Awardees

The Madras High Court has recommended the Ministry of Women and Child Development to resume reserving two seats in MBBS and BDs courses for students who have been conferred with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar. While the court agreed that discontinuing the reservation is a policy decision of the government, the bench of Justice RMT Teekaa Raman and Justice N...

Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Making Four Additional Judges Of Madras High Court Permanent

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended making four additional judges of the Madras High Court as permanent.In its meeting held on 20th February, 2025, the collegium has proposed the appointment of following judges as the permanent judges of Madras High Court:(i) Justice Ramasamy Sakthivel(ii) Justice P Dhanabal(iii) Justice Chinnasamy Kumarappan, and (iv) Justice Kandasamy...

14 Y/O Girl Had 'Sufficient Knowledge & Capacity' To Understand Her Actions: Bombay HC Grants Bail To POCSO Accused

The Bombay High Court on Monday granted bail to a 24-year-old man booked for raping a 14-year-old minor girl, noting that the victim had 'sufficient knowledge' and 'capacity' to know the 'full import of her actions' as she 'voluntarily' stayed with the accused for 4 days. In its 10-page order, a bench of Justice Milind Jadhav considered the statements of the victim wherein she said...