SC Expresses Shock To See A First Appeal Pending In HC For 35 Years [Read Order]

It is more than high time that justice delivery is taken more seriously by all concerned, the Bench observed.Expressing “extreme shock” over a first appeal case pending in the Gujarat High Court for 35 years, the Supreme Court has directed the Chief Justice of the High Court to take necessary steps on the administrative side to ensure that such unconscionable delay and such...

SC Reminds Karnataka And TN Govts About Their Duty To Prevent Damage To Public Property [Read Order]

The Supreme Court bench comprising justices Dipak Misra and UU Lalit, today, expressed serious concern about the deterioration of law and order in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, as a result of the  Supreme Court’s interim order on 12 September in the Cauvery water dispute between the two States.The  bench heard a petition filed by P.Sivakumar, a social activist  of Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu,...

Soumya Case: SC Acquits Govindachami Of Murder Charges; Awards LIFE TERM For Rape [Read Judgment]

The Supreme Court has acquitted Govindachami alias Govindaswamy, the accused in Soumya Rape and Murder case, of Murder charges while upholding the conviction and sentence under Section 376 IPC for Rape and other offences."we are of the view that not only the offence under Section 376 IPC was committed by the accused, the same was so committed in a most brutal and grotesque manner which...

Are You Framing National Health Policy Or Not: SC Asks Centre [Read Judgment]

The court observed that treating a national programme as a public health issue has to stop and somebody must take ownership of the Population Control and Family Planning programme.On a public interest litigation filed by prominent health right activist Devika Biswas, the Supreme Court has issued certain directions to the Centre and states in the matter of implementation of sterilisation...

Magistrate Can Allow Complainant To Conduct Prosecution Independently: SC [Read Judgment]

He has to file a written application making out a case, so that the magistrate can exercise the jurisdiction as vested in him and form the requisite opinion, the Bench said.Examining the difference between Section 301 and Section 302 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the Supreme Court in Dhariwal Industries Ltd. vs. Kishore Wadhwani & Ors, has held that Section 302 CrPC confers...

Centre Tries To Convince The SC About Its Sincerity In Filling Judges’ Vacancies

If the number of judges’ vacancies in the high courts is any indication, the challenge before the Centre and the SC Collegium is indeed a logjam, a situation in which you cannot make progress easily, because of the sheer magnitude of the problem.  The 24 high courts currently have 485 vacancies, of which 268 are for permanent judges, and 217 for additional Judges.  Therefore, the...

SC Dismisses PIL For Stopping Funding Of J&K Separatists [Read Order]

The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and UU Lalit today dismissed the Public Interest Litigation petition filed by advocate, Manohar Lal Sharma, which sought a direction to the government to immediately stop the funding of separatist groups in Jammu and Kashmir.The dismissal comes close on the heels of another bench of the Supreme Court agreeing to hear the matter, and...

Govt Must Compensate Promptly For Land Expropriation: SC [Read Judgment]

It is high time that the State realizes that persons whose property is expropriated need to be paid immediately so as to rehabilitate themselves, the Bench observed.The Supreme Court in Delhi Development Authority vs. Sukhbir Singh & Ors., has observed that persons whose property is expropriated by the state need to be paid immediately so as to enable them to rehabilitate.This observation...

Plea For Establishing Lokpal And Lokayuktas: SC Issues Notice To Centre, States

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre and states in a Public Interest Litigation seeking appointment of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in all States. A Division Bench comprising of of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Prafulla C Pant after today’s hearing asked Centre and State Governments to file their responses to the petition.Mr. Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who filed the...

Special Courts For Speedy Trial Of ‘Criminal’ Legislators: SC Issues Notice To Centre, ECI

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre and the Election Commission (EC) on a PIL seeking setting up of special courts to speed up criminal cases against legislators.The PIL, filed by advocate and Delhi BJP spokesperson Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, demanded that an order be issued directing the Centre to take necessary steps to debar persons charged with criminal offences from...

Plea In SC To Lift Ban On Camel Sacrifice In Tamil Nadu

A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court challenging a Madras High Court order banning camel slaughter in Tamil Nadu.Filed by Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi, the special leave petition reportedly contended that the high court order had adversely affected the entire Muslim community, rendering them incapable of sacrificing animals during Bakrid on September 13.The impugned order...

CJI Hails Arbitration Initiative As 3rd BRICS Legal Forum Concludes

The high-level dialogue platform of the third BRICS Legal Forum came to an end on Monday with representatives of BRICS countries signing the New Delhi Declaration.The valedictory event saw the arrival of Chief Justice of India TS Thakur and newly-appointed Bar Association president Lalit Bhasin.The three-day event was organised by the Bar Association of India and saw the coming together of...