A Tribute To P.P Rao

From his early childhood days, Padma Bhushan senior advocate PP Rao had the sole aim to pursue law - his inspiration being his own uncle and brother, and the dedication he saw in lawyers who fought tirelessly to relieve the distress of their clients. Such was his dedication that he took up teaching at a local district high school to support his pursuit of the legal profession. This was yet another milestone in his life that would leave an indelible mark upon his personality - the passion for...

Bombay HC Accepts Apology From Bar Associations Across Maharashtra That Abstained From Judicial Work, Warns Of Strict Action In Future [Read Judgment]

The Bombay High Court pronounced a judgment on Friday accepting apologies from various bar associations across the state of Maharashtra in the matter regarding abstention from judicial work demanding establishment of a bench at Pune and Kolhapur.Justice AS Oka and Justice Anuja Prabhudessai were hearing a suo-motu criminal contempt petition tagged along with a civil writ petition raising...

More Transgenders In Lok Adalat Panels

Following in the footsteps of West Bengal’s Islampur, where transgender Joyita Mondal was recently appointed to a bench of a national Lok Adalat, the Serampore ADR Centre has made an announcement appointing Shyam Ghosh (previously Shampa) to the upcoming national Lok Adalat to be held in Hooghly. Shyam is a transgender activist who works on gender rights and HIV issues and the first transman...

Interview with Ryan School Murder Accused: Did The Television Channels Cross the Lakshman Rekha?

In the aftermath of the murder of seven-year-old Pradyuman Thakur in the toilet of Ryan International School recently, many television channels carried interview with the bus conductor and the prime accused, Ashok Kumar, and concluded that he had confessed his role in the murder.   The accused is in police custody, and his so-called confession to the media would stand no legal scrutiny,...

Divorced Daughter Eligible For Appointment On Compassionate Grounds: Calcutta HC (FB) [Read Judgment]

A Full Bench of Calcutta High Court, on Wednesday, held that a divorced daughter would come under the definition of an “unmarried daughter” and would be eligible for appointment on compassionate grounds.“The beneficent scheme underlying the settlement would be thrown out of gear in the event, a restrictive meaning is applied and benefits are not extended to a divorcee daughter, who...

National Health Policy 2017 and Right to Health: Negation of Reality

The National Health Policy (NHP) 2017, proposes an ambitious health agenda, especially with regard to the enhancement of public spending on health from the current level of 1.15% of GDP to 2.5 %. However, the policy does not address many issues pointed out in the draft NHP 2015.[i] This commentary analyses the negation of the right to health in the policy.The policy explicitly rejects the idea of legislation on the right to healthcare, thus also negating the rights-based approach to health care....

Exiled From India For Over 23 Yrs, Delhi HC Clears Manipuri Couple's Way Back Home

Terming it "deprivation of the worst possible kind", the Delhi High Court on Wednesday cleared the way back home for an Indian couple exiled for over 23 years by the Centre and forced to live in foreign countries without being able to return to India all this while.A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar ensured the couple return to their home in India...

Delhi HC Terms Hauz Khas Village ‘A Ticking Timebomb’ [Read Order]

Appalled at the violation of laws and safety measures by the restaurants, pubs,bars and cafes in Hauz Khas village and how civic agencies had turned a blind eye to all of it, the Delhi High Court termed the posh hangout and party address of South Delhi "a ticking time-bomb".A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal was disquieted by how the South Delhi Municipal Corporation,...

‘Lawyers Collective’ Pays Tribute To Gauri Lankesh, Pledges To Defend Rule Of Law

Lawyers Collective (LC), an NGO fighting for issues such as human rights, has condemned the "cowardly murder" of Gauri Lankesh, the editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, while pledging to continue to defend rule of law and support rational voices.Indira Jaising's LC remembered Gauri as "an active voice of dissent against the obscurantist policies of the State".  The NGO said, "We stand united for...

Unanswered Questions In Triple Talaq Judgment: Will TT Be Counted As One Or Are They Void Having No Effect On The Validity Of Marriage?

Shayara Bano’s dreams came crumbling down when she received a letter from her husband in October, 2015, declaring instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat) to her, bringing her matrimonial life to an end. Finding every door of hope closed on her face, she decided to take the struggle for gender justice head on. Shayara Bano petitioned the Supreme Court in 2016 with the plea to pronounce talaq-e-biddat as illegal, null and void; and unconstitutional. Considering the social costs involved in the...

Delhi HC Steps In To Ensure Immediate Legal Aid, Compensation To Minor Raped In School And Likes

Calls for protocol for synergy between cops and the DSLSA Taking note of two newspaper reports relating to sexual assault of a 5-year-old girl inside her school, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Delhi Police and the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) to arrive at a protocol for transmission of information of cases of sexual violence to the latter at the earliest so...

Escorting Sri Sri Ravi Shankar By Chief Justice: Gauhati HC Bar Association Expresses Its Displeasure [Read Resolution]

Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajit Singh has landed himself in controversy after being seen escorting Art of Living founder and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar from the airport to his official residence by driving the car himself, when the latter visited Guwahati on September 5 to attend North-East Indigenous People's conference.Expressing its disapproval of the Chief...