Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 Promulgated

The President of India has promulgated the Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 on January 06, 2015 with immediate effect which provides for the following amendments to the Indian Citizen Act, 1955:• At present one year continuous stay in India is mandatory for Indian Citizenship which is relaxed stating that if the Central Government is satisfied that special circumstances exist, it...

New process for appointment of law clerks in Supreme Court, Law graduates from institutions recognized by BCI eligible to apply

The Supreme Court of India through a notice today introduced the revised scheme for for engaging law clerk-cum-research assistants on short-term contractual assignment in the Apex Court.The scheme, approved by the Chief Justice of India allows law graduates and fifth year students from any of the institutions recognized by the Bar Council of India to apply for the position of law clerk...

Jayalalithaa pays fine, tax cases against her withdrawn

Getting a reprieve in cases filed by Income Tax Department in 1996 for not filing tax returns in 1993-94, Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and her close aide Sasikala can breathe a sigh of relief as cases against them have been withdrawn after they paid a penalty of Rs. 2 crore.The final orders in the matter were passed by Tax authorities, after the fine of Rs. 2 crore per person...

Metro Train Fare Hike Case: Bombay HC Dismisses Maharashtra Government’s Plea against Reliance Infrastructure; Fare Fixation Committee to finalize fare structure within 3 months

The Bombay High Court today, dismissed the Maharashtra government’s plea, filed against Reliance Infrastructure in the Metro train fare hike case. The court has allowed the company to charge higher fares.Further, the Court asserted that the Fare Fixation Committee (FCC) will be vested with necessary powers to revise the fares. It also allowed the FCC to come to a decision in this respect,...

Delhi High Court dismisses plea for restricting screening of the movie PK

A Delhi High Court Bench comprising of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw yesterday, dismissed a plea against Amir Khan starrer movie- PK, holding that there was no substance in the allegations leveled against the movie, in the PIL filed by Ajay Gautam.It was brought to the Court’s notice by Additional Solicitor-General Sanjay Jain that the Supreme Court had recently dismissed...

Disclose Union Cabinet note on NJAC: CIC

Central Information Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu directed the Department of Justice on 7.1.2015, to disclose the Union Cabinet note and details about its decision to establish National Judicial Appointment Commission. After cabinet has decided, the notings cannot be withheld on the pretext that Bill did not become Act, said CIC in second appeal filed by Mr. S.N. Shukla, who sought...

Right to reproduction available despite imprisonment; State should permit creation of facilities for exercising right of reproduction during imprisonment, in a phased manner: Punjab and Haryana High Court

In an order deliver by Justice Surya Kant, Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the formation of a Jail Reforms Committee, by the State Government in consultation with the High Court, in order to recommend the desired amendments in the rules/policies to ensure the grant of parole, furlough for conjugal visits and the eligibility conditions for the grant of such relief, beside...

NGOs without balance sheets may not get funds from the Government in future

In a submission made before the Supreme Court, the Central Government said that it wants to stop funding NGOs that do not submit their balance sheets of last three years.Additional Solicitor General P S Patwalia submitted to the Bench headed by Chief Justice of India HL Dattu that “For release of grants, let it be a condition precedent that the government would release money only after...

NJAC notification may be delayed as Government is trying to find ‘eminent persons’, and draft Rules

While the President of India gave his assent to the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill last week, it seems that the notification regarding the Act could be some time away as the government seeks to appoint two eminent persons who are going to form part of the panel. In addition, the NJAC Rules also have to be put in place."Also, a place befitting the stature of the Commission...

Year End Review of Ministry of Law & Justice

Legal Reforms is the priority of the Department of Legal Affairs, which is envisaging decentralizing the availability of legal assistance to the Ministries/Departments by providing Indian Legal Service Officers in house in each of the Ministry/Department.A National Litigation Policy to reduce the average pendency from 15 years to 3 years is also underway.Further, based on the recommendations...

Chennai to become first city to have two benches of National Green Tribunal as pending cases continue to mount

With almost 1,500 cases pending before the only bench of the National Green Tribunal in Chennai, it has been reported that city is all set to get a second bench, becoming the first city to have two benches.As on date, National Green Tribunal has its principal bench in Delhi, with other benches in Kolkata, Pune, Bhopal and Chennai. The Chennai Bench has jurisdiction over Tamil Nadu,...

Rajasthan Government’s Ordinance fixing minimum educational qualifications for contesting Panchayat polls faces challenge in the Supreme Court

Association for Democratic Reforms and five existing women sarpanch with panchayat samiti members have filed two separate petitions in the Supreme Court challenging the recent ordinance promulgated by the Rajasthan Government that debars uneducated candidates from contesting panchayat polls.The Ordinance fixes class VIII pass as minimum qualification for contesting elections, and class V pass...