News Updates
Centre approves the Bill for replacing Collegium System
The Central Government has approved the much delayed Bill seeking to replace the existing controversial collegium system of appointing judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts with a Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC).The JAC will have a say in appointment and transfer of judges of the Supreme Court and all the 24 high courts. It will be headed by the Chief Justice of India, two...
SC gives stern warning to AOR for lending name for petty amount; Court to examine conduct for one year
In a suo motu contempt proceedings [Suo Motu Contempt Petition No: 312 of 2013] initiated against Advocate on Record (AOR), Rameshwar Prasad Goyal, the Apex Court has come down heavily on the practise of AORs' lending signature for petty amounts.In the instant case, Goyal filed an application for restoration of an appeal which was earlier dismissed by the Court, as none appeared to...
Execution of rape-cum-murder convicts stayed by SC
The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the execution of two death row convicts in Karnataka which was scheduled for today. Their plea was tagged by the Bench with other cases in which the apex court had stayed the execution of other death row convicts.The accused had been sentenced to death for brutally raping and murdering a teenaged girl in 2001. The two were sentenced to death by a trial...
SC to examine immunity granted to Juveniles involved in heinous crimes; Juvenile Justice Board allowed to pronounce verdict on juvenile accused in Delhi gangrape case
The Supreme Court today admitted a PIL [Special Leave Petition (Criminal) 1953 of 2013] filed by Dr. Subramanian Swamy, demanding that a juvenile’s culpability should be determined on his mental maturity rather than physical age. Notice has been issued to the Central government.However the Bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam allowed the Juvenile Justice Board to pronounce its...
Final arguments in Delhi gangrape case to commence today
The Delhi fast-track court hearing the December 16, 2012 gangrape case has concluded recording of the evidence and is set to hear final arguments from today onwards.The case pertains to the 23-year-old physiotherapist who was brutally tortured and gangraped in a moving bus by five men and one juvenile. Four accused are standing trial in the fast-track court, while the juvenile is...
Exclusive portal to file RTI applications online launched
The government has launched an exclusive portal –www.rtionline.gov.in– to enable citizens to file RTI applications online. This would be applicable for all the ministries under the Central Government.The Ministry of Personnel, the designated administrative department for implementation of the transparency law, will be writing to all state governments asking them to adopt the...
Calcutta HC denies information about Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya’s written objection against Justice Shukla Kabir’s elevation
The Calcutta High Court has refused to provide information about Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya’s written objection regarding the elevation of Justice Shukla Kabir. The RTI query was, “Has Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya opposed the elevation of Justice Shukla Kabir. If so was it a written objection? If yes, a copy of the objection report.” The Public Information Officer has refused to...
PIL seeking innovative voluntary measures to check population growth filed in SC
India’s population explosion woes are well-known. It has long been felt that our population growth is fast reaching alarming proportions and that there is a strong co-relation between the population growth rate and the level of development of the country.This proverbial population problem has now led to a public interest litigation being filed by a social activist, Avishek Goenka, in...
Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam says Judges, Lawyers are accountable to people
While inaugurating the Alternative Disputes Redressal (ADR) Centre and laying foundation for a new administrative block for the Madras High Court, the Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam said that although people do not elect judges and advocates, the two are answerable and accountable to the public.He said judiciary was enjoying enormous public confidence and trust, and hence advocates...
New Chief Justices for Madras, Delhi, Jharkhand and Meghalaya High Courts
Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Justice Rajesh Kumar Agrawal will be soon appointed as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, following the recommendation of the Supreme Court collegium. He took charge as the Acting Chief Justice on 2nd February, 2013. Justice R Banumathi, seniormost judge of the Madras High court High Court will be appointed as Chief Justice of the...
SC pulls up Centre for failing to respond on barring criminals from elections
The Supreme Court has asked the Central Government to give response on why persons facing charges for serious offences like rape and murder should not be barred from contesting elections.A Bench comprising Justice R M Lodha and Justice Madan B Lokur also questioned the Centre for failing to file a response to a PIL asking directions to debar candidates with criminal background and for keeping...
Supreme Court asks for removal of red beacons from vehicles of VIPs
The Supreme Court has asked the Centre and the states to remove sirens from vehicles of VIPs as being violative of law. It has also hinted that it would pass a direction for preventing misuse of red beacon also, since their use is a "reflection of British Raj".Hearing a PIL filed by an Uttar Pradesh resident on misuse of red beacon, a bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and V Gopala...