SC Constitution Bench Hears Crucial Arguments On Euthanasia

Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench,  on Tuesday, sought clarifications from the counsel on the legal and philosophical issues in legalizing euthanasia.   Prashant Bhushan, counsel for the petitioner,  Common Cause, submitted that a robust system of certification is necessary to withdraw life support to terminally ill patients.  A person should be free to express in advance that if his...

SEBI Moves Contempt Plea Against Sahara For Obstructing Aamby Valley Auction

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court with a contempt petition against Sahara group for allegedly obstructing the board from carrying out the auction of Aamby Valley property in Pune, as directed by the court.Mentioning for an urgent hearing of the contempt plea, SEBI counsel Pratap Venugopal informed the bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi that...

SC Premises To Get Three Sanitary Napkin Vending Machines; Rs. 5 Lakh Allocated [Read Order]

In a welcome move, the Supreme Court has directed its Registry to install three sanitary napkin vending machines within the Court premises.The directive was issued by a Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, after Advocate Nandini Gore pointed out the plight of the women visiting the Court. Ms. Gore, who is the Secretary of the Supreme Court Advocates-On-Record Association (SCAORA),...

Modification Of Sentence From Life Imprisonment To 20-Yr RI Not Enhancement, But Reduction: SC [Read Judgment]

Reiterating that life imprisonment means imprisonment for full life and not for 14 years, the Supreme Court has observed that modification of sentence to life imprisonment to 20-year rigorous imprisonment is not enhancement, rather reduction of sentence, and hence no notice is required to be given under Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.The trial court had convicted 11 accused...

SC Directs States To Implement Safety Guidelines In Schools & Ensure Students Don’t Suffer From Any ‘Phobia’ [Read Order]

The Supreme Court, on Monday, directed States to implement the safety guidelines for schools, as circulated by the Centre, and ensure that the students feel safe in schools.“…the States shall see that the guidelines circulated by the Union of India are implemented in reality and also have an action plan so that the children feel safe in the schools and do not suffer from any phobia...

Charge Sheets Filed In Any State Can Be Considered To Constitute ‘Continuing Unlawful Activity’ Under MCOCA: SC [Read Judgment]

However, in the absence of an organized crime being committed in Delhi, the accused cannot be prosecuted on the basis of charge sheets filed outside Delhi, the court held.In an important judgment, the Supreme Court, in State vs Brijesh Singh @ Arun Kumar, has held that the words ‘competent court’ in Section 2(d) of the MCOCA [Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act] is not restricted...

SC Invokes ‘Inherent Powers’ To Dissolve Marriage Of District Judge Couple Who Have Been Living Separately For 17 Yrs [Read Judgment]

Invoking its inherent powers to do ‘complete justice’, the Supreme Court has granted divorce to a district judge in West Bengal, whose wife, also a district judge, has been living separately for the past 17 years.The husband and wife, in the instant case, are district judges in the state of West Bengal. The husband’s application for divorce was dismissed on the ground that he failed...

Hearing Of Matrimonial Disputes To Be Conducted In Camera; Video Conferencing Cannot Be Directed In Transfer Petitions: SC [Read Judgment]

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court, with a 2:1 majority, has overruled the directions issued in the case of Krishna Veni Nagam v. Harish Nagam, observing that if proceedings are directed to be conducted through videoconferencing, “the spirit of the 1984 Act will be in peril and further the cause of justice would be defeated”. Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A.M....

SC Adjourns Hadiya Case Hearing Amidst Commotion: CJI Again Asks How Hadiya Can Be In Father's Custody

CJI hinted that the Court will hear what Hadiya has to say about the issues.The Supreme Court today adjourned the hearing in Hadiya case amidst commotion. But CJI Dipak Misra reiterated that prima-facie he felt that the girl's father cannot be given her custody. The case has been posted for hearing to October 30The bench was upset after Dave tried to explain that the Centre tried to give...

Justice Nariman, SC 9-Judge Bench Declared ‘Heroes’ For Recognising Privacy As Fundamental Right

Justice Rohinton Nariman and the nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court that declared privacy a fundamental right have been recognised as “Heroes” by ‘Access Now’, an international human rights and advocacy group working for open and free Internet and defending the “digital rights of users at risk around the world”.Justice Nariman and his eight brother judges, including former...

SC Constitution Bench To Decide On Parsi Woman’s Religious Identity After Inter-Religion Marriage [Read Order]

The constitution bench of the Supreme Court will decide the religious identity of a Parsi woman after her marriage under the Special Marriage Act.A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra referred a matter to the constitution bench, which will assemble on Tuesday to hear five constitutional issues, and said this matter will be listed as item six in the cause list.The CJI-led bench...

SC Bans Sale Of Fire Crackers In Delhi/NCR Ahead Of Diwali; Ban To Remain Till Nov 1[Read Judgment]

There will be no sale of crackers in Delhi and National Capital Region area during this Diwali on October 19.A bench headed by Justice A K Sikri put on hold sale of fire crackers with immediate effect.The bench said its September 12 order permitting sale will get implemented only from November 1, 2017.Ten days before Diwali, a bench headed by Justice A K Sikri was delivering verdict on a...