In pipeline: ATM like Kiosks at Courts to help litigants

As per its plans regarding e-governance, the Government of India’s Department of Justice has submitted a proposal before the Expenditure Finance Committee for the phase II of the e-courts project. The cost for the same has been estimated to be Rs. 2764.90 crores.As per the proposal, ATM like kiosks will be installed at every court in the country. Any litigant through these touchscreen...

Foreign websites to now pay Service Tax in India ; Delhi HC asks why use of private email not stopped? S. 9 of Public Records Act provides for fine and jail upto 5 years

After being asked to appear by the Delhi High Court and explain the government’s stand on the issue regarding usage of private email by government officials despite the Delhi High Court orders, Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain submitted to the Court that a draft e-mail policy would shortly be submitted to the Union Cabinet for its approval and that it only requires the...

‘Give me red’, Delhi Police asks Supreme Court to allow red beacons

Delhi Police has approached the Supreme Court with the plea to modify the December 2013 order in which the Apex Court had said, “The men in uniform; operational agencies which require unhindered access to roads for performance of their duty; those engaged in emergency duties such as ambulance services, fire services, emergency maintenance etc.; and, police vehicles used as escorts or pilots...

Wife’s Loans and deductions are her personal information: CIC

RTI Act protects privacy rights between the spouses. The Central Information Commissioner Prof M. Sridhar Acharyulu (Madabhushi Sridhar) held on 29th October 2014 that while husband had a right to know the amount of salary of wife (public servant) information about her expenditure and loan deductions cannot be given under RTI. In response to RTI application of husband in marital dispute,...

Subramaniam Swamy gets relief, defamation proceedings stayed by Supreme Court

The Bench headed by Justice Deepak Misra yesterday stayed the defamation proceedings that were on before a Chennai court.  Proceedings were stayed in five different cases that were registered against Subramaniam Swamy after he had made critical comments against former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.The Apex Court also issued notice to the Centre, Tamil Nadu Govt. and also Jayalalithaa,...

Five Indian fishermen awarded capital punishment by a Sri Lankan Court

A court in Sri Lanka has convicted five Indian fishermen for smuggling drugs into the island nation. Arrested in 2011, the anglers have been awarded the death penalty by the local court.With time until November 4 to file an appeal, the Indian Government too has made a statement and has reportedly said, “The Indian High Commission in Colombo will appeal through lawyer to higher court...

Naked Rambler loses in ECHR [Read the Judgment]

Stephen Peter Gough, a British, also known as Naked Rambler has lost his case in the ECHR regarding his right to be nude in public.In 2003 Mr Gough had chosen to walk stripped from Land's End in England to John O'groats in Scotland, acquiring the epithet "the naked rambler". Between 2003 and 2012 he was arrested over thirty times in Scotland for being naked in open. He was convicted on a...

Centre submits list of 627 foreign account holders in a sealed envelope to the Supreme Court in black money case

After being directed to disclose the names in the black money case the Attorney General for India, Mukul Rohatgi today submitted the list containing names of 627 account holders in HSBC, Geneva in a sealed envelope to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had now asked the SIT to take appropriate action after going through the list submitted and submit a status report by November end.The...

Supreme Court rejects Surinder Koli's review petition [Read the Order]

A Supreme Court bench comprising of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu, Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice A.K. Sikri dismissed Nithari serial killer Surinder Koli's review petition. The plea sought review of the judgment that had upheld death penalty awarded to him.Arguing for Koli, Ram Jethmalani asserted, "One innocent life is more important than anything else. I am shocked that such a thing can...

Contempt proceedings initiated against lawyer for issuing notice to the Judge

Karnataka High Court has initiated suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against RKGMM Mahaswamyavaru, a lawyer from NR Colony near Kothitopu in Tumkur, for issuing a notice to Principal Civil Judge and JMFC, Gubbi, asking him why criminal proceedings should not be initiated against him for being “discriminative.”The Principal Civil Judge made a complaint to the district judge...

All India Bar Association seeks suo motu contempt proceedings against Tamil news channel

All India Bar Association has demanded suo motu contempt proceedings against Tamil news channel, Thanthi, for allegedly telecasting arguments in the bail application hearing of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the apex court.AIBA asserted that even though it strongly supports media freedom and freedom of expression, including the recording and telecast of court proceedings, it...

Government takes up digitization of all Subordinate Courts across the country

In an effort to expedite justice delivery, the Government is planning to digitize all of the 15,000 subordinate courts across the country. This reform would not only provide judgments and track proceedings online, but also act as a check on unwarranted adjournments allowed by judicial officers.Information like the next date of hearing, submission of number of witnesses, past...