Kerala High Court Upholds the State Government’s Liquor Policy

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court comprising of Justices K.T. Sankaran and Babu Mathew P. Joseph delivered a judgment on 31st March, 2015 upholding the constitutional validity of the State Government's Liquor Policy framed last year confining bar licences only to five star hotels and banning other category of bars.The judgment came as a recognition of the Government’s long...

Judicial officer harassment allegations: SC issues notice to Gujarat High Court

A Supreme Court bench comprising of Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice R. Banumathi has issued notice to the Registrar General of the Gujarat High Court, seeking response on the allegations of harassment by a woman Judicial Officer. She had also alleged that she was suspended for demanding proper accommodation and chamber facilities.The Court issued the notice after it was informed that as...

Gopal Gowda invokes "Olga Tellis" to re-iterate 'Right to Life includes Right to Livelihood" [Read the Judgment]

A Supreme Court Bench comprising of Justice V. Gopala Gowda and Justice R. Banumathi, while ordering payment of back wages to a worker who was wrongfully terminated, relied on the judgment in the case of Olga Tellis and Ors. v. Bombay Municipal Corporation and Ors.. The Court observed, "The respondent and his family members have been suffering for more than four decades as the source ...

CJI Dattu firm on 'Good Friday' Judges Conference, Justice KT.Thomas says nothing wrong in it

Chief Justice of India, H.L. Dattu is keen to go ahead with the three day conference of High Court Judges, scheduled to begin on April 3, i.e. Good Friday, despite opposition from the Christian community.The issue was brought to the Court's attention by Advocate Lily Thomas. She mentioned it before a Supreme Court Bench comprising of the CJI and Justice A.K. Mishra.She reportedly stated...

CLAT-2015: Last date for submission of application form extended to 14th April, 2015

The last date of submission of online application form for CLAT-2015 has been extended to 14th April, 2015. Read the notification as displayed on the CLAT-2015 website here.According to sources, around 40,000 aspirants have already registered and paid the fees for CLAT-2015 while around 60,000 aspirants have registered for it.In an order dated 27th March, 2015, a Supreme Court Bench comprising...

Breaking ; "Law can never be enforced unless fear supports them.": SC urges re-examination of sentencing policy under Section 304, IPC

While emphasizing of the need to scrutinize, re-look and re-visit the sentencing policy in Section 304A, IPC, a Supreme Court Bench comprising of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Prafulla C. Pant observed that, "The purpose of just punishment is designed so that the individuals in the society which ultimately constitute the collective do not suffer time and again for such crimes. It serves as...

Parsi sisters’ endeavour for freedom to enter religious place, Gujarat HC ruling challenged in SC

In what can be said as a relief to Parsi women marrying outside the community, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition challenging a debatable ban on their entry into Fire Temple or the Tower of Silence to participate in the funeral ceremonies of their parents and relatives. The petition filed by a Parsi woman Goolrokh M. Gupta and her sister Shiraz Contractor Patodia, who is also...

Is Right to Practice available to a person convicted of an offence? Allahabad Seven Bench examines, along with issues relating to Lawyer's Strike

A seven Judge Bench of the Allahabad High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the disruptions occurring in the functioning of the District Courts and Allahabad High Court, due to strikes by the members of the Bar, as well as the prevalent security concerns. The Bench comprised of Justice Dr. Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, Justice Rakesh Tiwari, Justice Rajes Kumar, Justice V.K....

No age limit for CLAT: SC refuses to interfere with Allahabad HC's interim order [Updated]

A Supreme Court Bench comprising of Justice Gopala Gowda and Justice C. Nagappan has refused to interfere with the interim order of the Allahabad High Court which had scrapped the upper age limit for CLAT-2015. The appeal was filed against RMNLU, the organizing university.While allowing the petitioner to withdraw the petition with the liberty to approach the Allahabad High Court for review...

President commutes death sentence of a multiple murder convict to Life Imprisonment

After rejecting mercy petitions of 22 death row convicts, the death sentence of a condemned prisoner belonging to Assam has been commuted to life imprisonment by the President Pranab Mukherjee.The death sentence of Man Bahadur Dewan, alias Tote Dewan, who hails from Assam's Dibrugarh district, stands commuted to life imprisonment reportedly. Dewan was sentenced to death for killing his...

Justice Bhushan and Governor Sathasivam: Oath giver becomes oath taker

Justice Ashok Bhushan was sworn in today as the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court. The oath was served by Governor P. Sathasivam at a function in the Raj Bhavan. The occasion saw the presence of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, along with some of his cabinet colleagues.This is a rare event where 6 months ago the Acting Chief Justice had served the oath for appointment of P. Sathasivam as...

Special Courts alone will have jurisdiction to try all offences based on same transaction to avoid multiplicity of litigation : SC

A two judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising of Justices S.A.Bobde and J.S.Khehar has held that even if a number of persons are accused of offences under a special enactment such as 'the Companies Act and as also the IPC' in respect of the same transaction or facts and even if some could not be tried under the special enactment, it is the special court alone which would have jurisdiction...