California Judge says forcing a Catholic Hospital to perform sterilization operation would violate its religious freedom; denies interim relief [Read Order]

Supreme Court Judge Ernest Goldsmith on Thursday refused to direct a Catholic hospital to permit an obstetrician to use its facility to sterilize a woman just after the birth of her third child.Denying the interim relief, Judge Goldsmith observed, "Religious-based hospitals have an enshrined place in American history and its communities, and the religious beliefs reflected in their operation...

Supreme Court Weekly Round-Up

JudgmentMan convicted for raping young girlSupreme Court, on Monday, has sentenced a man accused of raping and burning alive a young girl for life imprisonment. Apex Court bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and Arun Mishra reversed the Gauhati High Court order acquitting the accused from rape charges and restored the conviction and sentence recorded by trial court.20 year old suit...

Prashant Bhushan clarifies that Nariman does not vet CPIL PILs; says incident misreported by Media [Updated]

Perturbed by news reports rebutting his claims before the Supreme Court on functioning of the NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), Mr. Prashant Bhushan has written a letter to media including Firstpost, Times of India and Mail Today , stating that the claim that Senior Advocate Fali S. Nariman vets CPIL petitions before they are filed has been misreported.The clarification email...

CJI lays foundation stone of Bar Council of Kerala M.K Nambyar Lawyers Academy for Continuing Legal Education at Cochin

Foundation Stone of the upcoming M.K Nambyar Lawyers Academy for Continuing Legal Education was laid by Chief Justice of India Justice T.S. Thakur today in the function organized by Bar Council of Kerala in Kerala High Court Auditorium. Justice Chalemeshwar and Justice Kurien Joseph of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice of High Court of Kerala Justice Ashok Bhushan, Leader of Opposition Sri...

Bombay HC suggests that Corporates allot 2% of profits towards hospital bills of the poor

A Division Bench of Bombay High Court on Thursday reportedly suggested that corporate companies can allot funds towards Corporate Social Responsibility, setting aside 2% of their profits towards hospital bills of patients who cannot afford to pay them.The bench, comprising Justice V.M. Kanade and Justice Revati Mohite Dere said, “This will serve a dual purpose. The patient and his or her...

Making sense of the crisis in Arunachal Pradesh

The case, Nabam Rebia vs the Registrar, Gauhati High Court, being heard by the five-Judge Constitution bench comprising Justices JS Khehar, Dipak Misra, Madan B Lokur, Pinaki Chandra Ghose, and NV Ramana since 15 January is of interest to students of Parliamentary politics.The question that is likely to be answered at the end of this hearing is whether the Governor has the discretion to call...

Sabarimala: President of petitioner organization gets threats but SC refuses him permission to withdraw plea

Naushad Ahmed Khan, president of the Indian Young Lawyers Association, whose women members filed a PIL in Supreme Court seeking entry of females into Kerala’s famous Sabarimala temple on Friday approached the apex court seeking to withdraw the petition citing threats to him.But a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra which is hearing the mater refused him permission to withdraw the case....

National Herald Case: Jethmalani revoked offer to defend Sonia after her party continued to disrupt Parliament [Read Letter]

Mr. Ram Jethmalani's blog has brought to light letters exchanged between him and Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi.In the letter dated December 10, 2015, Mr. Jethmalani had expressed disappointment with the disruptions in the Rajya Sabha. "As a senior practicing Counsel and Parliamentarian I am not happy with what has been happening in the Rajya Sabha for the last few days. The institution...

Arunachal Pradesh Political Crisis: SC refers case to Constitution Bench

A division bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday referred to Constitution Bench, a batch of petitions filed by Arunachal Pradesh State Assembly Speaker, Nabam Rebia, on the ongoing political crisis in AP. The Bench, comprising Justice J.S. Khehar and Justice C. Nagappan were of the view that issues concerning powers of Governor and Speaker must be decided by a Constitution Bench.Mr. Rebia...

Exclusive; DoPT provides list of Lokpal Aspirants, 4 SC Judges nominated for the post [Read the Full List]

In a welcome move, the Department of Personnel and Training has provided a complete list of Lokpal aspirants, complying with a CIC verdict on an appeal filed by RTI activist, Mr. Subhash Chandra Agrawal. The list includes four Apex Court Judges: Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra, Justice B.S. Chauhan, Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad and Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. They have been nominated by...

SC tells Arunachal Governor not to convene the Assembly Session till Jan 18; Court to hear the matter today [Read Order]

The Supreme Court by its order urged the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh not to convene the Assembly Session of the State till 18th of January. The Special Leave Petitions filed by Nabam Rebia claimed to be arising out of extremely important constitutional issues will be heard by the Division Bench comprising of Justices Jagdish Singh Khehar and C. Nagappan in the meantime.The court was...

Supreme Court asks Medical College to deposit 5 crores as costs for not complying with its orders [Read Order]

Coming down heavily on a medical college for not complying with its orders in Medical Council of India vs. JSS Medical College, the Supreme Court, on Tuesday, ordered it to deposit five crores Rupees as costs. Apex Court bench comprising of Justices Madan B. Lokur and R.K. Agrawal specifically directed the College not to recover this cost to be deposited, from any student in any manner or...