COVID-19 : Kerala Govt Constitutes High Level Committee To Recommend Grant Of Parole/Interim Bail To De-Congest Prisons

Following SC directions, Kerala Government has constituted a High Level Committee to recommend grant of parole/interim bail to convicts/under-trials in offences punishable with less than 7 years, to de-congest prisons in view of COVID 19 pandemic.The Committee comprising Chairman of State Legal Services Committee, Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Vigilance), and Director General of...

Ready To Help Lawyers Affected By Corona Virus: Bar Council of Kerala [Read Notice]

The Bar Council of Kerala has issued a letter to provide necessary help and support to advocates in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), including extending financial aid if any advocate or their family members are affected by Coronavirus."…the Bar Council of Kerala requests every member of the legal profession and also the Bar Associations in the state to inform the Council at...

Tripura HC Allows Use Of A4 Sheets With Double-Sided Printing For Filings [Read Order]

In a bid to minimize paper consumption, the Tripura High Court on Monday approved the use of A4 size papers for filing documents, with print on both the sides, both in the high court as well as the courts subordinate to it. As per the notice, the litigants/counsels in all the courts in Tripura will have to adhere to the following specifications of paper and font type: "Superior...

Initiation Of False Criminal Case For Which A Husband/ His Family Are Sent To Prison Amounts To Cruelty: Calcutta HC [Read Judgment]

A division bench of the Calcutta High Court has ruled that falsely implicating one's husband/ his family in a criminal case, which leads to their arrest and subsistence in jail, amounts to cruelty. While allowing an appeal for divorce preferred by an aggrieved husband, Justices Samapti Chatterjee and Manojit Mandal observed, "The respondent/wife, in our opinion, had no intention...

NCLT Extends Limitation Period From March 15 Till Further Orders [Read Notice]

The National Company Law Tribunal has issued a notice intimating all the litigants that the extension of limitation period granted by the Supreme Court on Monday will be applicable to the cases falling within the NCLT's jurisdiction. With the objective of reducing physical filings in courts and tribunals across the countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court had on...

Sec 32A IBC : Delhi HC Sets Aside SFIO Complaint Against Tata Steel BS Ltd Filed In Respect Of Bhushan Steel [Read Judgment]

The Delhi High Court has quashed the summons as well as the complaint filed against Tata Steel BSL Ltd (erstwhile Bhushan Steel) by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office. However while setting aside the complaint, the Single Bench of Justice Vibhu Bakhru clarified that this order will not affect the prosecution of the erstwhile promoters or any of the officers who may be directly...

Madras HC Expresses Shock Over Compensation Of Rs 86 Lacs Awarded In A Claim Restricted To Rs 36 Lacs [Read Judgment]

The Madras High Court has expressed its shock over the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (Special Subordinate Court), Coimbatore [MACT] awarding a compensatory amount of more than Rs. 86 lakhs in a case where the claim itself was restricted to Rs. 36 lakhs. The Division Bench comprising of Justices R. Subbiah and R. Pongiappan set aside this motor accident award and remanded the matter back to...

National Lockdown: Kerala HC Instructs All Judicial Officers To Hear Urgent Matters From Their Residences [Read Order]

In light of the 21 days long country-wide lockdown announced by the PM last night, the Kerala High Court has instructed all the Judicial Officers of its subordinate courts to hear urgent matters from their respective residences. As stated in the Official Memorandum issued in this behalf by the Registrar General, "it is clarified that in the light of the Government Order,...

Delhi HC Asks Delhi Govt To Consider Whether Bus Marshals In DTC Buses Require Proper Training

Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Government to consider a representation seeking proper training of Marshals that are deployed in the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Cluster buses operated by the Delhi Government. While hearing a petition complaining about the behaviour of one of such Marshals, the Single Bench of Justice Navin Chawla asked the Delhi Government...

Increase In Threshold For Commencing Insolvency Proceeding

The Union Finance Minister of India announced on Tuesday that the threshold for triggering insolvency proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 ("Code") stands increased with immediate effect from Rs.1,00,000/- to Rs.1,00,00,000/-. The Central Government's power to specify such increase is found in Section 4 of the Code : "4. (1) This Part shall apply to matters relating to the insolvency and liquidation of corporate debtors where the minimum amount of the...

COVID-19: Union Labour Ministry Advises Employers To Not Terminate Their Employees Or Reduce Their Wages [Read Advisory]

In wake of the medical and economic crisis created by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has urged the Employers of all Public/Private Establishments not to terminate their employees or reduce their wages, particularly those working on casual/ contractual basis. Imposition of complete lockdown across various cities in the country has...

Delhi HC Directs Expeditious DNA Testing Of Bodies Of Riot Victims Without Waiting For Court Orders [Read Order]

The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Government to not to wait for court's order before conducting DNA testing of persons killed during the Delhi Riots. While noting that there's no law that requires the prior permission of the court before conducting DNA testing, the Single Bench of Justice Navin Chawla ordered the Delhi Government to expedite the process of DNA matching...