Indian Supreme Court Begins Hearing Petitions Seeking Decriminalization Of Adultery [Section 497 IPC]

After reserving its judgment in the Sabarimala Temple entry case, the Supreme Court five judge bench on Wednesday commenced hearing in the PIL seeking decriminalisation of the act of Adultery.Praying that section 497 of the IPC and section 198(2) of the Cr. P. C. be struck down altogether, the petition questions the statutory immunity from prosecution for the offence of adultery which has...

[Sabarimala][Day-8 Session-1] How Does Article 14 Apply In This Case? SC Asks Petitioner

As the hearing in the Sabarimala Temple entry case spilled in its eighth day, Amicus Curiae K. Ramamoorthy supported, as being a age-old customary practice rooted in ardent religious beliefs associated with the Temple, the restriction on accessing the temple by menstruating women between the ages of 10 and 50 years.He placed reliance on the 1986 apex court judgment in Bijoe Manuel v. State...

SC Agrees To Hear Plea Against Malayalam Novel "Meesha" Alleging Insult To Hindu Women [Read Petition]

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the publication of Malayalam novel "Meesha" alleging that it depicted temple going Hindu women in derogatory light.The novel by S. Harish was being published in a serialized form in a Malayalam periodical "Mathrubhumi". The part of the novel published in the second week of July had created controversy for the comments uttered by a...

RTI/Lokpal: New Amendments Severely Weaken The Legislations Intended To Bring In More Transparency, Justice AP Shah Writes To PM Modi [Read The Letter]

Former Chairman of the Law Commission of India Justice AP Shah on Monday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abstain from diluting various laws such as Companies Act, 2013 and RTI Act, 2005.Writing on behalf of the Citizens Whistle Blowers Forum (CWBF), Justice Shah asserted that the proposed amendments can lead to a spurt in economic offences, stating, “…any campaign...

Second National Judicial Pay Commission Releases Consultation Paper Seeking Suggestions From Judicial Officers On Allowances

Second National Judicial Pay Commission has released a Consultation Paper speaking about giving monetary incentives, emoluments and conditions of services including post-retirement allowances and benefits to the working and retired judicial officers.An official press release states, “This Consultation paper speaks about giving monetary incentives, emoluments and conditions of services...

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Violates Preconditions Of Public Order, Morality And Health Imposed Under Article 25 And 26 Of Constitution, Submits AG

When the bench had sought Attorney General K. K. Venugopal’s opinion, he had categorically stated that the FGM violates the preconditions of public order, morality and health imposed under Articles 25 and 26 and the right to bodily integrity recognized by the Supreme Court nine-judge bench in Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (2017).“Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is reprehensible and no one...

Conviction Cannot Be Based Solely On Co-Accused’s ‘Confessional Statement’: SC [Read Judgment]

‘On the touchstone of law laid down by this Court such a confessional statement of a co-accused cannot by itself be taken as a substantive piece of evidence against another co-accused and can at best be used or utilized in order to lend assurance to the Court.’The Supreme Court has held that conviction under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, cannot be based solely on...

Judge Loya Case: SC Dismisses Bombay Lawyers Association’s Review Petition [Read Order]

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the review petition filed by Bombay Lawyers Association (BLA) seeking review and recall of the judgment denying an independent probe into CBI Special Judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya’s death.The bench comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y, Chandrachud ordered, “We have carefully gone through the...

SC Issues Notice To Centre, States, UTs On PIL Seeking Revision Of Mid-day Meal Scheme [Read Petition]

With India home to largest number of malnourished children, the Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre, States and Union Territories on a PIL seeking revision of budget for midday meals and enhancement in its calorific content, a court-supervised quality assurance system and an audit of all schemes and facilities implementing child nutrition and education programmes, by...

Assam-NRC Only Draft, Cannot Be Basis of Action By Any Authority : SC [Read Order]

The Supreme Court today observed that the National Register of Citizens(NRC) prepared for State of Assam was only a draft, and hence the same cannot be basis of any action by any authority."In this regard the Court would like to observe that what has been published is only the Complete Draft NRC which naturally being a draft cannot be the basis of any action by any authority.", observed...

[Sabarimala] [Day 7] : The Parameter For Attracting Article 17 (Untouchability) Is Caste-based Not One Based On Sex: Gopal Sankaranarayanan [Read Written Submissions]

Day 7 of the Sabarimala Temple entry case witnessed submissions by Advocate V. K. Biju and Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing on behalf of two intervenors.Mr. Biju, countered the challenge to the ban on the entry to the Temple of menstruating women between the ages of 10 and 50 years, praying that the court may not interfere in the customary practice that has prevailed in a family...

Prior Notice To Other Party Before Filing Application To Set Aside Arbitral Award Not Mandatory: SC [Read Judgment]

‘To construe such a provision as being mandatory would defeat the advancement of justice as it would provide the consequence of dismissing an application filed without adhering to the requirements of Section 34(5), thereby scuttling the process of justice by burying the element of fairness.’Disapproving view adopted by many High courts in the matter of interpretation of Section 34(5)...