Justice Tarun Chatterjee appointed as new chairman of UP Human Rights Commission

A high-powered committee comprising Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, leader of Opposition in both houses Naseemuddin Siddiqui and Swamy Prasad Maurya, cleared the name of former Justice Tarun Chaterjee appointing him as the new chairman of the state Human Rights Commission.Every appointment to the commission is made after obtaining the recommendation of the Committee consisting of the...

PIL to make Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a party in Coalgate rejected by Supreme Court

A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice R.M. Lodha was hearing a petition by petitioner advocate M.L. Sharma who sought that the Prime Minister having said that he is open for a CBI enquiry should file an affidavit in the apex court. However, the Supreme Court out rightly rejected the petition saying that it won’t make any statement or pass orders regarding the Prime Minister.The apex court...

Proposed Judicial Appointments Commission opposed by Madras Bar Association

Strong words of opposition have been heard from the Madras Bar Association which is completely against the proposed amendment to the Constitution to overhaul the present system of appointment of judges to high courts and the Supreme Court.The 150-year-old Madras Bar Association (MBA), in its memorandum to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Amendment Bill, said the composition of...

Madras High Court comes out with new norms to designate Senior Advocates

The Madras High Court is working towards bringing greater transparency in the judicial system and has come out with new norms on conferring the designation of Senior Advocate.According to the norms, for an advocate to be appointed as a senior advocate in the Madras High Court, completion of 15 years of professional experience and landmark judgments delivered by such a person, are the two...

Legal Literacy is a catalyst for socio-economic progress of the society: Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam

Speaking at the national-level meet of para legal volunteers, organized by National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), the Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam talked about the importance of legal literacy guaranteed under the Constitution of India and how its awareness among the marginalized sections of the society would help them assert their rights.He said if a society wants to progress then...

Administrative authorities too can review decisions like the judiciary: Supreme Court

While disposing of a batch of appeals of policemen filed against the common verdict of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, a Supreme Court bench comprising justices SJ Mukhopadhaya and AK Sikri in its 37-page verdict, said besides the judiciary, an earlier wrong and illegal orders can be reconsidered and annulled by the administrative authorities also, which has similar power to review...

A crucial day for Kerala Advocate General in the Supreme Court

It is unusual for an Advocate General to file an affidavit, explaining his role in a case. The Kerala Advocate General has earned the rare distinction of filing  an affidavit in the Supreme Court pursuant to Court’s direction in a Special Leave Petition filed by one Mr. T.N Nandakumar (SLP(C) No.12261/2012, Thanical Gopinathan Nandkumar Vs. P C George MLA & Ors). The case arises out of...

Delhi High Court to launch e-filing of case papers: A path-breaking initiative

The Delhi High Court which successfully operated the country’s first e-courtroom for four years is now prepared to make the whole institution of court proceedings paperless by inaugurating a system for electronic filing of cases.Delhi Chief Justice N.V. Ramana has reportedly said that e-filing system will begin in taxation and company courts in a phased manner. The computerization project...

Reinstatement of schizophrenic employee directed by SC

In a landmark ruling, a Supreme Court bench of justices CK Prasad and Jagdish Singh Khehar directed the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) to reinstate 41 year old Edward D’Cunha even though he suffers from schizophrenia, ending 13 long years of wait for justice.While he was on his duty in Visakhapatnam in 1997, Edward got his first schizophrenic attack which was diagnosed by doctors at...

Supreme Court expresses need for reforming social status of transgenders

Pointing out that transgenders have always been ostracized socially, politically and culturally, a petition has been filed by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) in the Supreme Court seeking for a grant of legal status of a "third and equal sex" to the transgenders.A Supreme Court bench of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and A K Sikri while hearing the petition which sought for a...

Hefty compensation awarded in Anuradha Saha medical negligence case

A hefty amount of Rs 5.96 crore is to be paid by Kolkata- based AMRI Hospital and three doctors to a US-based Indian-origin doctor as compensation for medical negligence which led to the death of his wife in 1998. The Supreme Court bench of Justices SJ Mukhopadhaya and V Gopala Gowda has asked the hospital and the three doctors to pay the amount to Kunal Saha, an Ohio-based AIDS researcher...

Fundamental rights includes Right to get pure food, says Supreme Court

The right to life and human dignity under art 21 of the Constitution also incorporates the right to have food articles and beverages which are free from harmful residues such as pesticides and insecticides, the Supreme Court has ruled.The apex court said that food articles which are harmful and injurious to public health had the potential of striking at the fundamental right to life guaranteed...