Sabarimala Reference | Supreme Court Debates Essential Religious Practice Test, Denominational Rights vs State Reform Power

What came out from an obiter dictum of the Supreme Court in the Durgah Committee judgment (1961) continues to pose an overwhelming task before a nine-judge bench hearing the Sabarimala reference. While the Supreme Court in the Shirur Mutt judgment (1954) made a distinction between secular and religious practice, the Dargah Committee's judgment said that only practices which are "essential...

Supreme Court Daily Round-Up : April 21, 2026

Links to today's reports :Sabarimala Reference | If Believer Prevented From Touching Deity Only Due To Birth, Can't Constitution Intervene? Supreme Court AsksLegal Representatives Can Challenge Arbitral Award Only Under S 34 Arbitration Act, Not Article 227: Supreme Court'Appointments To Uniformed Services Require Greater Caution' : Supreme Court Restores Dismissal Of Medically Unfit...

Foreign Judgment Passed Without Fair Opportunity To Defend Not Enforceable In India: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has held that a foreign judgment rendered in summary proceedings without affording a meaningful opportunity to defend, despite the presence of triable issues, is unenforceable in India under Section 13 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.A Bench of Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe dismissed a civil appeal filed by Messer Griesheim GmbH (now Air Liquide...

Cybercrime Operates Through Organised Ecosystems; Response Must Be Real-Time &Collaborative : CJI Surya Kant

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant recently spoke of the importance of having a victim-centric approach towards rising cases of cybercrime. He stressed that victims of cyber fraud are often retired persons and senior citizens, many of whom lose their entire life savings accumulated over decades of honest work. Addressing the 22nd D.P. Kohli Memorial Lecture by the Central Bureau of...

Supreme Court Warns To Suspend Bar Associations Failing To Implement 30% Women Representation

The Supreme Court recently warned that Bar Associations which fail to comply with its direction mandating 30% representation of women in their governing bodies will face suspension and fresh elections.A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi passed the order while hearing a batch of special leave petitions to ensure 30% representation...

Supreme Court Issues Notice On Plea Challenging Constitutionality Of NIA Act

The Supreme Court today issued notice on a public interest litigation challenging the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 as arbitrary, lacking in legislative competence and an encroachment on state power.A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the order, after hearing Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave (for petitioner). Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati...

Samagra Shiksha Funds Released To Kerala Despite Non-Implementation Of NEP: Centre Tells Supreme Court

The Union Government has told the Supreme Court that funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme were released to Kerala even though the State has not implemented the National Education Policy, 2020. The Centre has stated that ₹99.27 crore was released for RTE entitlements for the financial year 2025–26 notwithstanding such non-implementation.“It is pertinent to mention that for FY...

Can Appeal Against Fixed Term Sentence Exceeding 14 Yrs Be Heard By Single Bench Of High Court? Supreme Court To Consider

In a convict's challenge to his 20-year jail sentence, the Supreme Court is set to consider the issue of coram required to hear and decide appeals filed in Karnataka High Court against fixed term sentences exceeding 14 years.A bench of Justices KV Viswanathan and Vipul M Pancholi recently issued notice on a plea filed by convict-Barkath against an order passed by a Single Bench of the High...

Sabarimala Reference | If Believer Prevented From Touching Deity Only Due To Birth, Can't Constitution Intervene? Supreme Court Asks

On the sixth day of the hearing in the Sabarimala reference, the Supreme Court orally asked if the Constitution can intervene if a believer is prevented from touching the deity only on account of his birth identity.Justice Ahasanuddin Amanullah, member of the 9-judge bench, posed this query to Senior Advocate V Giri, who argued that the right of a believer under Article 25 to enter a place...

Supreme Court Allows Chhattisgarh Court Employee To Appear In LL.B. 3rd Year Exams As Interim Measure

As an interim measure, the Supreme Court today allowed a Chhattisgarh Court employee, seeking to pursue LL.B. course as a regular student, to appear in the exams for 3rd year of the course.A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta passed the order in the petitioner-employee's challenge to the Chhattisgarh High Court order, which held that permitting a probationary...

S. 100 CPC | Findings Of Fact, Even If Erroneous, Cannot Be Disturbed In Second Appeal: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has reiterated that while hearing a second appeal, it is impermissible for the High Courts to reopen and disturb the factual findings of the Court below by re-appreciating the evidence. A bench of Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Prasanna B. Varale dismissed an appeal filed by the defendant, who was aggrieved by the High Court's affirmation of the First Appellate...

POCSO Act | Presumption Of Guilt Under S.29 Does Not Arise On Testimony Of Child Victim Alone If It Is Unreliable: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court recently held that the presumption of guilt under Section 29 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 will arise only after the prosecution proves the basic facts of the alleged sexual assault, and cannot be applied if the victim child's testimony itself is not fully credible and trustworthy.A bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice K Vinod Chandran...