Hearing Of Urgent Matters In Supreme Court Via Video Conferencing - [LIVE-UPDATES]

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Bombay HC Orders Exclusion Of Lockdown Duration From 90-Days Period For NPA Declaration [Read Order]

The Bombay High Court has passed an interim order that the lockdown period must be excluded from computing the 90 day period for declaring a loan account as Non-Performing Asset(NPA).The loan account was already on default on March 1, 2020, the date from which the moratorium advised by the Reserve Bank of India as part of COVID-19 relief package is applicable.The petitioner in the case...

'Cases Are In Quarantine': Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi Writes To CJI To Open SC With Strict Riders [Read Letter]

"Closing courts for long is a self destructive idea. Courts are sentinels of fundamental rights", writes Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi to Chief Justice S. A. Bobde, amidst the COVID lockdown through which the Supreme Court, the High Courts and even the subordinate judiciary remains effectively shut except *for a handful of matters of "extreme urgency" *which are being heard...

Territorial Jurisdiction Of High Court Under Article 226(2) Of Constitution [Explainer]

This piece intends to explore the law regarding the territorial jurisdiction of a High Court to issue writ under Article 226 of the Constitution.Article 226 Before Its Amendment Firstly, the legislative history of Article 226 has to be examined. It originally read thus:226. (1) Notwithstanding anything in article 32, every High Court shall have power, throughout the territories in relation...

Supreme Court Order On Free Corona Testing: A Well Balanced, Fair and Equitable Order

Controversy over the order of the Supreme Court for free testing by private labs has raised some controversy. Can the Supreme Court issue such an order which is in the nature of a policy direction? Should the Supreme Court have interfered at all? Is the nature of direction appropriate? The petition was a PIL. COPY had been served on the Solicitor General but no counter affidavit had been filed. The private labs were not made a party and direction against them was ex parte. The direction is of a...

'Nothing In Centre's Status Report To Ensure Payment Of Minimum Wages To Migrant Workers': Harsh Mander And Anjali Bharadwaj Tell SC [Read Rejoinder]

In their rejoinder to the Centre's status report on the issue of the welfare of migrant workers, petitioner-activists Harsh Mander and Anjali Bharadwaj point out that the report does not "in any way deal with the issue of ensuring payment of minimum wages to migrant workers". Instead, it is asserted that the government has only engaged in making "unfounded allegations" and "appears to...

RBI Advisory On Loan Moratorium : Frequently Asked Questions

On March 27, the Reserve Bank of India allowed Banks to declare a three-month moratorium on all term loans outstanding as on March 1, 2020, as well as on working capital facilities. The Indian Banks Association has answered a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the technicalities of the moratorium. QUESTION 1: When/what was the RBI announcement? ANSWER: Last week,...

Congress MP Moves SC Seeking Evacuation Of Indian Citizens Stranded In Gulf Countries Amid Coronavirus [Read Petition]

Congress MP from Kerala, MK Raghavan has moved the Supreme Court seeking directions for immediate evacuation/repatriation of Indian citizens stranded in Gulf countries. The petition filed in public interest avers that the outbreak of COVID-19 has caused widespread disruptions in the lives of Indian citizens at home and abroad, especially those stranded in Gulf countries. It points...

[Breaking] Plea Seeks Modification Of SC Directions For Free COVID19 Testing, Warns Abysmal Drop In Testing If Pvt Entities Not Allowed To Charge

Seeking modification of directions passed by the Supreme Court for conducting free testing of COVID19 by Private laboratories & hospitals, a doctor has filed an intervention application. .The applicant, while warning that forcing private entitities shall create a sharp dip in an already below par testing rate for covid, has prayed that a separate EWS quota may be formulated for those who...

Bombay HC Refuses 'Force Majeure' Exemption To Steel Importers; Says Steel Declared As 'Essential Service' During Lockdown [Read Order]

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday refused to grant 'Force Majeure' exemption to a set of steel importers, who had sought to restrain the encashment of their Letter of Credits by Korea-based exporters.The companies had approached the High Court under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, stating that the lockdown had rendered the performance of contract impossible....

Live Streaming Of Hearing During COVID 19: Kerala HC And Justice Gautam Patel Of Bombay HC Lead The Way

Supreme Court of India started with video conferencing on 27.03.2020. Close on the heels of the Supreme Court, the Kerala High Court started hearings through video conferencing since 30th March. [1]The difference however was that the hearings of the Supreme Court were highly guarded and permitted the participation only of the advocate on record of a particular matter listed before the Hon'ble Court. The cause list clearly indicated that if the video conferencing link is shared with...

[Breaking] Lack Of 4G Net During Lockdown Dismantles Right To Education: Plea In SC By Private Schools Association, J&K

A PIL has been moved in the Supreme Court by Private Schools Association, Jammu & Kashmir (PSAJK) contending that the lack of 4G connectivity for internet in Jammu and Kashmir is infringing the fundamental right to education.The PSAJK is an association of over 2,200 schools across Jammu & Kashmir and the plea has been preferred challenging Government Orders dated 18.01.2020,...