Tamil Nadu introduces Bill for of e-Court fee system in Madras High Court [Read the bill]

The Tamil Nadu Government has decided to introduce e-stamps for payment of Court fee by way of Tamil Nadu Court Fees and Suits Valuation (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The Bill seeks to amend the Tamil Nadu Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1955, in view of the observations of Madras High Court in 2013.While disposing of an application filed by a litigant, Madras High Court had in 2013 recommended...

[Read Order] #JNU Sedition Case; Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya get interim bail

Jawaharlal Nehru University students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya are granted interim bail for Six months by Delhi Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh in the JNU Sedition case. The bail applications were opposed by the Prosecution on the grounds that the two were the main organisers of the Afzal Guru event, held on the JNU campus on 9th February.They were in judicial custody...

Bombay HC commutes Death Sentence of 23 yr old Youth to Double Life in a Rape and Murder Case [Read Judgment]

The Bombay High Court in State of Maharashtra v  Vitthal Tukaram Atugade[Confirmation Case No:1 of 2015] has commuted the death sentence of a 23 year old youth, with sentence of ‘double life’ imprisonment ,which has to run Consecutively. The Court held that even though the crime, committed by the accused was heinous in nature, considering the cumulative effect of the facts and...

Appointment of Additional Judges at Bombay High Court

In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of article 224 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint (i) Shri Prakash Deu Naik, and (ii) Shri Makarand Subhash Karnik, to be Additional Judges of the Bombay High Court, in that order of seniority, for a period of two years with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective...

RTI: PIO not required to furnish Info which requires drawing of inferences or making assumptions: Kerala HC [Read Judgment]

In Muhammed Siyad P.A. & Ors. v. Sreejith Appu & Ors [W.A No:1135/2015 &other connected cases] the petitioners based on the position of their rank, claimed before the single bench,that they are eligible for consideration towards appointment to various posts of Assistant Executive Engineers existing in the Kerala State Electricity Board(K.S.E.B).The petitioners taking rescue under...

JNU Row: Order on bail plea of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya on 18th March

The Patiala House Court today reserved till March 18th, its order on the bail plea of Jawaharlal Nehru University students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who have been in judicial custody since February 23, on charges of sedition.The prosecution submitted before the Court that Mr. Khalid and Mr. Bhattacharya were the two main organizers of the event discussing hanging of Parliament...

Decriminalizing Attempt to Commit Suicide (Sec 309 IPC) under consideration of Home Ministry; Minister

The Law Commission of India, in its 210th Report: “Humanization and Decriminalization of Attempt to Suicide” had recommended that Section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) of IPC needs to be effaced from the statute book. A draft formulation is presently under examination in the Ministry. ‘Public Health’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects. However, the Government of India...

Lok Sabha clears Real Estate Bill as passed by Rajya Sabha

Lok Sabha yesterday approved the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2016. The bill seeks to create a set of rights and obligations for both the consumers and developers and encourage both of them to live up to the expectations of each other as per the agreement entered into by both of them.Moving the Bill pending in Lok Sabha after it got passed in Rajya Sabha on March 6, Minister...

Karnataka HC declares law levying life time tax on vehicles registered outside State as Unconstitutional and ultra vires [Read Judgment]

Disposing of a bunch of Writ Petitions, Karnataka High Court on Thursday quashed the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Taxation [Amendment] Act, 2014 as unconstitutional and ultra vires. The Amendment Act levied a lifetime tax on motor vehicles registered outside the State of Karnataka, in case they have been in the State for a period exceeding thirty days.Representing one of the petitioners,...

Nepal to get its first woman Chief Justice

Nepal seems to be witnessing several changes in its system of governance after adopting a new constitution, making it a federal republic in 2015. The country got its first woman president and speaker and now is all set to get its first woman Chief Justice as a meeting of the Judicial Council had recommended Sushila Karki, the senior most judges in Nepal's Supreme Court, to be appointed as...

Kerala High Court sets aside disqualification of former Chief Whip P.C George [Read Judgment]

The High Court of Kerala has on Monday, revoked the order of disqualification imposed on former Chief Whip Mr P.C George  by the speaker, as a legislator in the Kerala Assembly.Mr George was disqualified by the speaker , pursuant to a complaint made by his party Kerala Congress (M) stating that he had evaded/ defied his party whip on numerous occasions.To avoid disqualification, Mr George...

Justice A.K. Mishra recuses himself from hearing challenge to anticipatory bail granted to Secretary of Calcutta HC Bar Association

Justice Arun Kumar Mishra today recused himself from hearing a petition seeking stay of the anticipatory bail granted to Secretary of Calcutta High Court Bar Association, in the case levying allegations of rape against the leader.Justice Mishra reasoned that being on the administrative side of the High Court had given him access to some complaints in the case. “When a judge is in knowhow...