News Updates
Posts of CIC and three Information Commissioners vacant for a year, Delhi HC seeks Centre’s reply
A Delhi High Court bench comprising of Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw has rapped the Centre for vacancy in the posts of the Chief Information Commissioner and three information commissioners. These posts have been vacant for nearly a year.The Court is hearing a PIL filed by RTI activists R.K. Jain, Lokesh K. Batra and Subhash Chandra Agrawal, through lawyers Prashant Bhushan and...
National Green Tribunal bans diesel vehicles over 10 years old from plying in Delhi; construction activities violating 2010 Urban Township and Area Development Guidelines be immediately stopped
A five Judge bench of the National Green Tribunal has banned all diesel vehicles over 10 years old from plying on Delhi roads. The order came on an application by petitioner Vardhaman Kaushik, who had cited the rising pollution level in the city.The Bench, headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, directed that all the vehicles entering Delhi will be checked for pollution, weight and age from...
Uber Cab Rape Case: SC to Decide Whether an Accused has the Right to Recall Witnesses for Re-examination
The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday said that it will determine the law regarding the right of an accused to recall witnesses for re-examination in a criminal case trial. On behalf of a division bench of the SC, Justice J S Kehar said that, "We are going to lay down the law that whether witnesses can be recalled at the behest of an accused".The SC was hearing appeals filed against an Order of...
Beef Ban Row: Maharashtra CM Clarifies that the State will not Ban Slaughter of Other Animals
On April 6th, while hearing petitions challenging the provisions, especially section 5D of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2015, a division bench of Justice V M Kanade and Justice A R Joshi asked for the State Government’s explanation as to why the State only banned the slaughter of cows, bulls and bullocks and not goats or other animals. In response, the Advocate...
Law Commission of India Submits its Report on Leprosy Laws; Proposes Legislation to Eliminate Discrimination against Persons affected by Leprosy
The Law Commission of India has submitted its Report No. 256 on “Eliminating Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy” to the Union Minister of Law and Justice today. The report also provides a model draft law to eliminate discrimination faced by Persons affected by Leprosy.In 2014, India had the largest number of new Leprosy cases globally (58%). From 2005 till 2014,...
Amendments to “The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today gave its approval to amendments to the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013 pending in the Rajya Sabha, and approved amendments proposed in the Bill. The recommendations of the Standing Committee of Parliament on Urban Development and suggestions of various stakeholders (consumer organizations,...
Coal scam: SC dismisses petition to summon Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik; imposes cost of 1 lakh on petitioner
A Supreme Court Bench comprising of Justice V. Gopala Gowda and Justice C. Nagappan, while dismissing the petition to summon Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as an accused in a coal block allocation scam case, slapped a cost of Rs. 1 lakh on the petitioner, Delhi- based advocate N.K. Sahoo.Adv. Sahoo had filed a plea against the order of the Special CBI Court dated March 11, wherein the...
Doctors should explain purpose and need of two finger test to rape victim/relatives, before conducting such test only for medical purposes and not to establish the conduct of victim: CIC
Central Information Commission Prof. Sridhar Acharyulu has directed the PIO, Family and Welfare Department to make an advisory available to doctors/physicians entrusted with the medical examination of survivors of sexual assault, NGOs and prepare a note in simple English explaining medial terms in simple language to remove the misunderstandings about these tests among the media, legal experts...
Advocates-on-Record Examination, 2015 to be held on May 26 – 29th
The Supreme Court of India’s Registry released an important Notification today regarding the Advocates-on-Record (AoR) Examination, 2015. According to the Notification, this year’s AoR Examination will be held in the Supreme Court premises in New Delhi on 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th of May, 2015.Interested candidates should send their applications, which must reach the Secretary, Board...
Gujarat Assembly passes Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organized Crime (GCTOC) Bill, 2015 which was previously rejected by two Presidents
The Gujarat Assembly yesterday passed the controversial Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organized Crime (GCTOC) Bill, 2015. The provisions of this anti-terror legislation had previously been rejected by the President twice. This Bill is a reworked version of the Gujarat Control of Organized Crime Bill (GUJCOC), 2003.A few changes have been incorporated in the 2015 Bill. The Bill however,...
Establishing Morning and Evening Courts delayed because of lawyer's resistance and non-availability of retired Judges says Law Minister
A grant of Rs. 5,000 crores made by the Thirteenth Finance Commission was rendered to States to put Judicial system for developing the infrastructure of courts in the country.The scheme was passed with a five year plan taking the period of 2010-2015. Infrastructure components included in this grant are the following:Establishing ADR CentresMaintenance of Heritage Court BuildingsCreations of...
Union, EC to reply on plea for more seats for SC/ST in the Parliament, Assembly : SC
The Apex court recently sought responses from the Election Commission and the central government on a plea seeking "re-adjustment" of reserved parliamentary and assembly seats for scheduled castes and tribes after the inclusion of more castes in SC category in 2002 and 2007 by virtue of SCs and STs Orders (Amendment) Act, 2002 and 2007. Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justice Arun Mishra...