India supports move against LGBT rights proposal to deny staff benefits to gay couples in the United Nations

Making its stand impliedly clear, the Govt. of India reportedly joined countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, China and Pakistan to support a proposal moved by Russia denying staff benefits to gay couples at the United Nations. The move was however defeated as 80 votes were polled against it while 43 countries, including India, backed it. While Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were the other countries...

Supreme Court ‘again’ surprised on listing of out of turn matters of the ‘influential’!

A bench of Justices Madan Lokur and R.K.Agrawal reportedly expressed surprise over the listing of hearing on a DMK party leader's plea seeking removal of the public prosecutor and staying of Karnataka High Court proceedings on the appeal of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha in the disproportionate assets case. The plea was last taken up for hearing on March 24 and the court had...

Rajya Sabha Chairman admits impeachment motion against MP HC Judge

Rajya Sabha Chairman Mohammad Hamid Ansari has admitted a motion for impeachment of Justice S.K. Gangele of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, on charges of sexual harassment against him by a former Additional District and Sessions Judge.A Rajya Sabha Bulletin said, “The Chairman has, under section 3 of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, admitted the following Motion received from Shrimati...

Legal successors of deceased employee insured under ESI Act, 1948 not entitled for compensation under Workmen Compensation Act, 1923 : SC

A two judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising of Justices Dipak Misra and P.C.Pant has affirmed that once an employee is an "insured person" under Section 2(14) of the Employee State Insurance Act, 1948, neither he nor his dependents would be entitled to get any compensation or damages from the employer under the Workmen Compensation Act, 1923.The matter pertained to death of the husband...

Manmohan Singh and KM Birla approach SC against summons issued in coal scam

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approached the Supreme Court, challenging the order of the Special CBI Court which named him as an accused in the Talabira coal block allocation case. Hindalco chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla and former Coal Secretary P.C. Parakh, who were also summoned as accused in the case, have also filed petitions challenging the trial court order.Mr. Singh might...

Breaking ; Applications u/s 156(3) to be supported with an affidavit by the applicant from now : SC [Read the Judgment]

A two judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising of Justices Dipak Misra and P.C.Pant has held that applications u/s 156(3) of CrPC have to be supported by an affidavit to avoid unnecessary applications and the magistrate has to apply his judicial mind cautiously before making any order.To quote :"27. In our considered opinion, a stage has come in this country where Section 156(3)...

Summary of the Judgment in Shreya Singhal vs. Union of India [Read the Judgment]

The Supreme Court of India in Shreya Singhal vs. Union of India examine the validity of various provisions in Information Technology Act, 2000. Here is the summary of the Judgment:Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 is struck down in its entirety being violative of Article 19(1)(a) and not saved under Article 19(2).Section 69A and the Information Technology ...

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow. Supreme Court strikes down Section 66A of the IT Act [Read the Judgment]

The Supreme Court today declared Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 as unconstitutional. The judgment was delivered by the Division Bench consisting of Justices J. Chelameswar and R.F. Nariman.The judgment, authored by Justice Nariman notes that the batch of petitions before the Court "raise very important and far-reaching questions relatable primarily to the fundamental right...

Two Year Waiting Period for Divorce; Supreme Court to examine whether Christian Divorce Law [S.10 of Divorce Act] Discriminatory

The Supreme Court of India today agreed to examine the plea whether the stipulation of a period of two years as the minimum mandatory period of separate residence as a condition for Divorce in S.10A(1) of the Divorce Act discriminatory. The Court issued notice to Centre on a petition filed by Albert Antony claiming that stipulation offends the right to equality of the petitioner under Art.14...

CIC directs Bar Council of India to upload Bar Exam Previous Papers with Key in BCI Website [Read the Order]

In a landmark order Central Information Commission speaking through Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu directed the Bar Council of India to collect the copy of All India Bar Examination question papers with key for first three years from the Rainmaker firm which conducted examination, and keep the same on official website for the use of young lawyers. The Commission also asked the Bar Council...

Complaint by a representative building occupant against a running commercial establishment violating law in the complex is Public Interest Litigation : SC

In a very strictly worded judgment, a bench of Justices V.Gopala Gowda and C.Nagappan ordered a pathological lab running in a residential complex in the name of a nursing home to be shifted to an alternative premise within 4 weeks and scolded the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for laxity in its approach.The SLP was filed against the orders passed by a Single Bench and the Division Bench...

Supreme Court issues notice to Essar, Centre on CPIL's plea for Court monitored investigation in Essar Leaks cases

The Supreme Court today issued notices to Central Government and Essar Group while hearing a public interest litigation filed by CPIL, a NGO in relation to demand for a court monitored investigation in the nexus between politicians, bureaucrats and journalists to promote Essar's business interests.Both Essar and the Central Government have been given the time period of 6 weeks to reply to...