SC rejects Vijay Mallya’s plea in FERA violation case, imposes 10 lakh fine for abuse of process of law

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justice J. Chelameswar and Justice A.K. Goel has paved the way for Enforcement Directorate to pursue criminal proceedings against liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya over violation of provisions of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA).The Court also imposed exemplary costs because the approach adopted by Mr. Mallya amounted to an “abuse of process of law”....

Complaint filed before Bar Council of Delhi alleging unauthorized practice of law by top 4 multinational audit firms

The Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) which professes to be the apex body of law firms in India has filed a complaint before the Bar Council of Delhi against 4 of the biggest multinational audit and accounting firms PwC, Deloitte, KPMG and EY alleging that they have been unauthorizedly practicing law.Following receipt of the individual complaints by SILF, the Bar Council of Delhi has...

Personal Remarks of AG about Lady Judges during #NJAC hearing have been very badly received by the Bar; Dr.Swamy writes to PM Modi

Former Union Minister and BJP leader Dr. Subramanian Swamy has shot off a letter to the Prime Minister complaining about the "poor judgment" of the government's law officers in crucial matters like the deletion of controversial section in the Information Technology (IT) Act, National Judicial Appointments Commission Act and on the issue of criminal defamation that according to him impinged...

Delhi High Court refuses to entertain PIL seeking criminalization of Marital Rape

A Division Bench of the Delhi High Court comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath has refused to entertain a PIL challenging Section 375 of the IPC which states that sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife, who is not under 15 years of age, is not rape.The Court refused to entertain the PIL because a similar matter is pending for consideration before the Supreme...

Denial of permission to erect temporary booths/structures for holding religious function will not violate Article 25: Bombay HC

The right to practise, profess and propagate religion guaranteed under Art.25 does not extend to the right of worship at any and every place of worship.A Bombay High Court Bench comprising Justice R.M. Dere and Justice A.S. Oka has held that the denial of permission to erect temporary booths or any other structure for a temporary period on public streets or footpaths or footways for holding...

Voting cannot be made compulsory since as it would violate right of freedom of speech and expression.: EC says to SC

The Election Commission has filed an affidavit expressing its stance in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) that wants a direction to the commission to frame new guidelines making voting mandatory. The commission said right to vote was not a fundamental right but statutory.“The decision taken by the voter after verifying the credentials of the candidate either to vote or not to...

High Court of Kerala dismisses PIL challenging the constitutionality of Shariat Law

The High Court of Kerala vide a recent judgment has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed seeking a declaration in law that the Shariat law- applicable in regard to inheritance of Muslim women- is violative of Articles 14, 15, 19, 21 and 25 of the Constitution of India and therefore, void and unenforceable. A Division Bench of the High Court comprised of Chief Justice Ashok...

Madras HC recalls order directing Mediation in Rape Case

In a welcome move, the Madras High Court has recalled its July order through which it had granted interim bail to a rape convict and urged the victim and the offender to try a compromise by mediation. The convict has been asked to surrender by July 13.Keeping in view Supreme Court’s order dated July 1; Justice P. Devadass has ordered to stop the mediation preparations.Last month, a man,...

SC orders to implement One Rank-One Pension (OROP) within Six weeks

The Supreme Court of India requires the Centre to comply with its 2008 judgment ordering the implementation of the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) principle for retired armed forces personnel within six weeks. Now, the next hearing will be on 24 August.On Wednesday, a bench led by Justice T S Thakur listed the matter after six weeks on a request made by Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand,...

Sun TV’s Plea for a Stay on Attachment of Properties by Enforcement Directorate referred to the 2G Bench

On Friday, a Division Bench of the Supreme Court of India comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C Pant Bench declined to hear Sun TV Network Ltd’s plea requesting for a stay on the Enforcement Directorate’s provisional attachment of its properties worth Rs.742 crores.The Bench observed that the matter should be heard by the Bench hearing the 2G spectrum cases after agreeing...

NJAC : Dhawan and Jethmalani defends Collegium system [Read the Jethmalani’s written response to AG-Part 2 & 3]

After creating a flutter with his comments on Tuesday that MPs grasped very little about the implications of the National Judicial Appointments Commission, Ram Jethmalani went one step further in his defence of the collegium system and asserted in his (written) response to the written submissions of the Attorney General that he has not seen a single judge who can be compared with the worst...

Delhi HC scraps ceiling on condom prices

A Delhi High Court Bench comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw today set aside cap on condom prices, saying that the Government’s decision to include it in the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) was “illegal and unsustainable”.The Court set aside the orders of the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority dated November 4, 2013 and July 10, 2014, according to which...