Lok Sabha passes Arbitration and Reconcilliation Amendment Bill, 2015

The Lok Sabha has today passed the Arbitration and Reconciliation (Amendment Bill), 2015 by voice vote. The Bill seeks to make the arbitration process more investor-friendly, cost effective and suitable for expeditious disposal of cases. It will also facilitate in making India a hub of international commercial arbitration.It may be noted that the President had promogulated an ordinance...

Lok Sabha passes Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Bill, 2015

In a bid to improve the ease of doing business in the country, Lok Sabha on Wednesday cleared a Bill to create commercial benches in select High Courts to settle high value commercial disputes; with the government saying the measure is aimed at providing "speedy and time-bound disposal" of cases necessary for accelerating the economic growth.The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister...

Persons in death-bed may also lie : Madras HC acquits Husband from the charges of abetting his wife to commit Suicide [Read Judgment]

Though there is a presumption that the persons in dead-bed expecting death at any moment will not tell a lie, such a presumption shall not have universal application, the court said.While acquitting a ‘husband’ who was convicted by the Trial court for offences under Sections 498-A and 306 of the Indian Penal code,  the Madras High Court has observed that dying declaration need not be...

What Bombay HC said about Media and Public perception in Salman Khan Case? [Read Judgment]

The court shall not be swayed away by any popular belief that a particular person considering his avocation, profession or standing, must have committed such an offence and must be held guilty, the court said while acquitting the Bollywood Actor Salman Khan.Following are some observations made by Justice A.R. Joshi, in the judgment allowing the appeal preferred by Bollywood Actor Salman Khan....

Law Ministry’s Consultative Committee Meeting Reviews NALSA Working

The Minister for Law and Justice Shri D. V. Sadananda Gowda has said that Working of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) will be made more effective and it will be streamlined keeping in view the hardships and difficulties faced during the Justice delivery to those litigants who are unable to defend themselves for want of resources. He was responding to concerns of the Members of...

Amendments in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for introduction of a Bill in the Parliament for certain amendments in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 so as to modify the list of Scheduled Castes in respect of five States namely Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Kerala, Odisha and West Bengal and in the Central List of Other Backward Classes of...

Justice Gautam Patel, Justice Prabha Sridevan, and Prof Shamnad Basheer in MIP’s List of 50 World’s most influential Personalities in IPR

The reputed international journal ‘Managing Intellectual Property’ (“MIP”), has published its 13th list of 50 most influential people in IPR for 2014-15. The list includes some celebrated names such as Jack Ma, Founder and Chairperson, Alibaba, Justice Clarence Thomas, US Supreme Court, John Berard, CEO, Vox Populi, Franics Gurry, Director General WIPO, Michelle Lee,...

Supreme Court orders Fresh Tests on Maggi at Mysore [Read Order]

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said popular Maggi noodles will now be tested in an accredited laboratory at Mysore and not in Chennai as sought by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC).The apex court also stayed the proceedings in the case pending in the apex consumer body.“It is directed that the Local Commissioner, appointed by the NCDRC, shall send samples...

SC appoints a Lokayukta for UP after State Govt. fails to comply repeated orders

In a rare order, the Supreme Court today exercised its Constitutional authority and appointed former High Court judge, Justice Virendra Singh, as Lokayukta of Uttar PradeshA bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi went ahead with the extraordinary task invoking its powers after the State government failed to comply with its repeated directives. The bench examined a list of nominees and ordered...

Police Reforms; De-Link investigation from Law and Order: Karnataka HC [Read Judgment]

The authorities need to seriously think of bifurcating investigation from regular law and order and thus enhance the credibility of the investigation. This would indeed drastically cut down the crime, the Court said.The Karnataka High Court has directed the Government and Police department to seriously think of forming an Expert Committee to scientifically work out the allocation of work of...

LexisNexis India and Taxsutra together bring out an innovative and powerful online reference tool for Tax Professionals

LexisNexis India, a leading global provider of business information solutions and legal database, has joined hands with Taxsutra, which is a one-stop destination for all updates and analysis of domestic and international income tax rulings and news, to bring out a new innovative product–‘Orange’.Orange aims at leveraging the strengths of LexisNexis India and Taxsutra to provide...

Bombay HC upholds “Heritage” status of Lata Mangeshkar-owned “Jayprabha” Studio [Read Judgment]

The High Court of Judicature at Bombay dismissed a Writ Petition filed by renowned singer Lata Mangeshkar challenging Maharashtra government's decision to declare Jayprabha Studio in Kolhapur, owned by her, as a heritage structure. The Maharashtra Government had, on December 29, 2012, passed an order declaring the studio as a heritage structure. Mangeshkar had moved the court against...