India Joins 25 Nations Where Homosexuality Is Legal

With the Supreme Court decriminalising gay sex, India joins 25 other countries where homosexuality is legal.However, 72 countries and territories worldwide still continue to criminalise same-sex relationships, including 45 in which such relationships between women are outlawed.In what is being hailed as a historic move, a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday...

BREAKING: SC Strikes Down 157 Year Old Law Criminalizing Consensual Homo-Sexual Acts Between Adults; Holds Section 377 IPC Unconstitutional To That Extent [Read Judgment]

In a landmark Judgment Supreme Court of India has struck down 157 year old law which criminalizes consensual homo sexual acts between adults. The Five Judge Bench has declared Section 377 IPC unconstitutional, insofar as it criminalises consensual sexual acts of adults in private.Chief Justice Dipak Misra said it is a unanimous verdict expressed through four separate but...

[Debate]Immediate Post-Retirement Appointment of Judges : Mutual Bonhomie between Executive And Judiciary?

"The Tribunals should not be heaven for retired persons and appointment process should not result in decisions being influenced if the Government itself is a litigant and appointment authority at the same time. There should be restriction on acceptance of any employment after retirement "- A Bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel quoted and broadly approved the Amicus report, in...

‘Committed To People Not To Government’

In the Harvard Club of India hosted conversation between Mr. Karan Thapar and Justice Chelameswar on 7th April 2018, Journalist Thapar had posed a question to Justice Chelameswar, regarding the propriety of the 12/1 Press Meet. The question drew its relevance from the 9th principle of the “Restatement of Values of Judicial Life” 1997 that was adopted by the Supreme Court in its Full Court...

Breaking: SC Issues Directions To Prevent Misuse Of SC/ST Act, Govt.Servants Can't Be Arrested Without Prior Sanction [Read Judgment]

Supreme Court of India on Tuesday issued directions to prevent the misuse of provisions of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 (SC/ST Act).A Two Judge Bench of Justices AK Goel and UU Lalit was examining the question whether there can be procedural safeguards so that provisions of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of...

NEROs WE ARE

When speech is the duty, it is a sin to be silent. The hottest place in hell is reserved for such sinners, it is said. We may not be able to reserve the cosiest part of heaven for ourselves, but try we must dereserve the hottest spot in hell. Let me try.I do read a lot about the "misfortune" of Justice K.M. Joseph. I also hear about the "embarrassment" of Ms. Indu Malhotra, the first...

The Murky Course Of Sohrabuddin Case

Sohrabuddin Sheikh, Kauser Bi and Tulsiram Prajapathi- these names would not have got national significance, in ordinary course of things. Ironically, their deaths, in alleged fake encounters by the officials of Gujarat State Police, gave a fresh lease of life to their names, continuing to send ripples of shock over the judiciary and the larger canvass of Indian politics. The public...

Breaking: Senior Advocate Indira Jaising Moves SC For Live Streaming Of Court Proceedings In Important Cases [Read Petition]

With the Supreme Court divided over questions of transparency in its functioning, Senior Advocate Indira Jaising has now approached the Apex Court demanding live streaming and video recording of cases of national importance.In the Petition, Ms. Jaising asserts that live telecast of such cases will increase access to courts, and will “negate the chances of any misreporting, errors or...

Can A Governor ‘Summon’ A Chief Minister?

The Kerala Governor, P.Sathasivam tweeted on July 30 that he summoned the Chief Minister of Kerala, and the State Police Chief to know about action taken by State government on law and order issues in Thiruvananthapuram. Another tweet from the Governor said that the Chief Minister, who met him at the Raj Bhavan, assured him that law breakers would be sternly dealt with, irrespective of status...

Remembering Justice Tarkunde: A Crusader For The Cause Of Civil Liberties

Today is the 108th Birthday of Justice TarkundeToday, when the country is passing through a severe stress on the state of Human Rights in different dimensions, we remember the role and contributions of Justice Tarkunde on his 108th birthday.After the passing away of Tarkunde on March 22, 2004, the country has faced Human Rights issues under different regimes.From time to time, the civil...

Too Much Noise? Maharashtra Govt’s Bill Imposes Rs. 2,000 Fine On Honking In Silence Zones

The Maharashtra government, in an affidavit before the Bombay High Court, has stated that the state assembly passed a Bill to enact the Maharashtra Transport and Roads Safety Act on April 6, 2017.Once it receives presidential assent, the Bill will bring about significant changes in rules for honking in silence zones.Under Section 15 (1) of the said Act, it is contemplated that the...

DU Photocopying Appeal: Who Said What And Why?

The Delhi High Court has reserved its verdict in the Delhi University (DU) photocopy case.A group of international publishers, including Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and Taylor and Francis Group, appealed against the September 16 single judge ruling.Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw had allowed Rameshwari Photocopy Services, a shop in the DU campus, to sell course packs...