There Is A Gender Bias In Legal Profession And Judiciary: Justice Indu Malhotra

“There is a gender bias....People think women judges are not good enough to grapple with complicate commercial matters....sometimes, even a senior judge would turn around to say that you would not understand it....so you have to work twice as hard; you have to fight it out and struggle your way through!”At a panel discussion hosted recently by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy...

SC Upholds Constitutionality Of Section 19(11) Of Tamil Nadu VAT Act, 2006 [Read Judgment]

 ‘The Statutory scheme delineated by Section 19(11) neither can be said to be arbitrary nor can be said to violate the right guaranteed to the dealer under Article 19(1) (g) of the Constitution.’The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed appeals filed against Madras High Court judgment that had upheld the constitutionality of Section 19(11) of the Tamil Nadu Value Added Tax Act, 2006.The...

Rights Of Accused Far Outweigh That Of Victims, Needs Some Balancing So That Criminal Proceedings Are Fair To Both: SC [Read Judgment]

‘A voice has been given to victims of crime by Parliament and the judiciary and that voice needs to be heard, and if not already heard, it needs to be raised to a higher decibel so that it is clearly heard.’While holding that ‘victims’ can file appeal without seeking leave to appeal, the Supreme Court has made pertinent observations about rights of victims of crime.Justice Madan B....

CJI Gogoi Unfolds Plans To Reduce Pendency: No Leave For Judges On Workdays; Withdrawal Of Judicial Work From Errant Judges

Acting on his assurance to bring in plans for reducing pendency of cases, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has begun by trying to discipline the judiciary.A few days before taking over as the Chief Justice of India, Justice Gogoi had highlighted two main problems that concerned him—huge pendency of cases and inability of poor to access justice.While speaking at a session at the...

'Arguments In Review Petition Defamatory To Lord Ayyappa & Young Girls': Devotee Seeks Intervention In NSS's Review.

A lady devotee of Lord Ayyappa, who is also the mother of a 14 year old girl, has filed an application for intervention in the review petition filed by Nair Service Society(NSS) against the Sabarimala judgment on the ground that the contentions in the review petition are defamatory to Lord Ayyappa and young girls.In the review petition, NSS has contended that "As the deity is a...

Provide Info On Special Courts For Legislators Or Be Held Personally Liable: SC To Chief Secretaries & Registrar Generals [Read Order]

Taking stern view of the prolonged failure of a few States and High Courts in providing information on the establishment of Special Courts for trying cases involving legislators, the Supreme Court on Wednesday warned the Chief Secretaries and Registrar Generals of such States/UTs and high courts that they would be held personally liable if the information demanded is not provided within...

MV Act Compensation: Amounts Being Received By Family Under Employees Family Benefit Scheme Not To Be Deducted While Calculating Loss Of Income: SC [Read Judgment]

“The aforesaid payment is totally different to the payment made by the employer in Shashi Sharma case (supra) which was statutory in nature.  Therefore, we hold that this amount cannot be deducted.”The Supreme Court has held that amount being received by the family members of deceased under the Employees Family Benefit (EFB) Scheme cannot be deducted while calculating the loss of income...

No Need For Parties To Be In Trial Court When Proceedings Are Stayed: SC [Read Order]

“We fail to understand the logic behind such a practice”The Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Kurian Joseph said when trial court proceedings are stayed, there is no need for the parties to be in court till the stay is vacated or modified by the court which granted the stay.This observation was made by the bench, also comprising Justice S. Abdul Nazeer, while it was told by a...

SC Issues Notice On Pleas Against Govt. Controlling Devaswom Boards; Seeks Participation Of Devotees In Temple Administration [Read Petitions]

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Kerala government, the Travancore Devaswom Board and the Cochin Devaswom Board on petitions moved by TG Mohandas and Subramanian Swamy challenging the Government taking over the constitution of the two Boards which administer most of the temples in Kerala falling in the erstwhile Travancore-Cochin part of the State and demanding democratic...

There Cannot Be Any Mechanical Denial Of Appointment In Judicial Service On The Ground Of Moral Turpitude: SC [Read Judgment]

‘To make past conduct, irrespective of all considerations, an albatross around the neck of the candidate, may not always constitute justice.’The Supreme Court has directed the state authorities to reconsider the candidature of a successful aspirant for judicial service, whose selection for appointment was cancelled on the ground of ‘moral turpitude’.A three-judge bench comprising...

"Do You Want Entire Country To Be Full Of Vegetarians?", SC Asks Petitioners Seeking Ban Of Meat Exports [Read Petition]

When a petition seeking ban of meat exports and state involvement in meat trade came for admission before the bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur, he asked "Do you want the entire country to be full of vegetarians?". The bench of Justice Madan Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta has sought response of Central Government in the matter."We cannot pass an order that everyone should become...

When Statute Provides Cognizance Of Particular Cause Is To Be Taken By A Particular Court, No Other Court Can Take Cognizance Of The Cause: SC [Read Judgment]

‘Legislature never creates or provides for parallel jurisdiction in two different courts for taking cognizance of a cause’The Supreme Court has observed that when a statute provides that cognizance of particular cause is to be taken by a particular court, no other court can take cognizance of the cause since legislature never creates or provides for parallel jurisdiction in two...