Foreign/International
South Africa SC Upholds Non-Disclosure Of Private Deliberations In Judicial Appointments [Read Judgment]
The cloak of confidentiality enhances the judicial appointments process by allowing the members to robustly and candidly state facts and exchange views in discussing the suitability or otherwise of the candidates based on their skills, characters, weaknesses and strengths, the Court observed.The Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa has affirmed a high court order that refused to...
Brexit Can Happen Only After Parliamentary Approval: UK Court [Read Judgment]
In a major setback for the British government, the High Court of Justice of England and Wales has ruled that parliament's approval would be needed in order for the United Kingdom to exit the European Union.The court said that the Secretary of State does not have the power under the crown’s prerogative to give notice pursuant to Article 50 the Treaties of European Union(TEU) for the...
Indian Lawyer Aniruddha Rajput Elected To UN’s International Law Commission
The 33-year-old Indian lawyer, Aniruddha Rajput, has been elected as a member to UN General Assembly’s top body of legal experts, the International Law Commission. Rajput is among 34 individuals elected by UN General Assembly in a voting by way of a secret ballot held on Thursday.The five-year term of the newly elected members will commence from January 2017. The members to the...
India’s Struggles To Remain Afloat In Rule Of Law Index [Read Report]
The propaganda of the government to promote openness has started bearing fruit, as India figures in the top 30 countries in the world for an open government according to a study that ranks countries on the basis of citizen experiences of rule of law. However, while the country featured in the top scorers list of a certain subject, India also figures as the worst performer under parameters...
A Singapore Court Approves Serving Of Civil Suit Papers Via WhatsApp
With technology revolutionising means and manner of communication, a Singapore court has approved serving of intimation to a defendant in a civil suit via WhatsApp messaging service.R&D Pharmaceuticals had sued business associate Tan Chong Min, 53, as he allegedly failed to return a friendly loan of $43,000.Despite petitioner’s lawyer Vijai Parwani making several attempts to contact...
Bad Character Evidence Must Be Considered Cumulatively, Not Separately: UK SC [Read Judgment]
Reliance on cumulative past incidents in support of a case of propensity may indeed illuminate the truth of the currently indicted allegations, but excessive recourse to such history may skew the trial in a way which distracts attention from the central issue, it said.The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in R v Mitchell (Northern Ireland), has observed, that where there are several...
‘Good Character Test’ For Children Born To Unmarried Parents Discriminative: UK SC [Read Judgment]
Not reasonable to impose the additional hurdle of a good character test upon persons who would, but for their parents’ marital status, have automatically acquired citizenship at birth, the Court held.In an important pronouncement, the Supreme Court of United Kingdom has declared that paragraph 70 of Schedule 9 to the Immigration Act 2014, which imposes a requirement that an applicant...
Saudi Arabia Executes Prince For Murdering Youth
Legitimate punishment would be the fate of whoever tries to assault innocent people and shed their blood, the Interior Ministry statement read.Saudi Arabia has executed a member of its royal family after he was found guilty of murdering a young man.Three years ago, Prince Turki bin Saud bin Turki bin Saud Al-Kabeer was convicted for shooting a Saudi national, Adel bin Suleiman bin Abdul...
Only Unanimous Jury Decision May Approve Death Penalty: Florida SC [Read Judgment]
The Florida Supreme Court on Friday declared the State’s death penalty law as unconstitutional as it does not require a unanimous jury decision to impose the sentence. Florida law only required 10 out of 12 votes to approve death penalty.In the 5 to 2 ruling, the Judges concluded that “the Sixth Amendment right to a trial by jury mandates that under Florida’s capital sentencing scheme,...
Indonesia Approves Chemical Castration For Paedophiles
In a toughened stand against child sex abuse, the Indonesian parliament has voted in favour of a law that enables chemical castration and even execution of convicted offenders. The decision was primarily in response to the public outrage after murder and gang rape of a 14-year-old girl in April.The new law prescribes a sentence ranging from 10 to 20 years for repeat offenders and for those...
US SC Restricts Scope Of ‘Victim Impact’ Evidence In Death Penalty
Vacating the judgment of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals which had affirmed the death sentence of a convict in a triple murder case, the Supreme Court of the United States has reiterated that it has not overruled a decision that bars victims’ family members from recommending a death sentence.It said a capital sentencing jury considering victim impact evidence that does not...
Marshall Islands Loses Battle Against Nuclear Giants India, UK, Pak
A tiny island nation might have lost the battle against nuclear ‘giants’, but it could be an inspiration for some to fight for a safe world free from nuclear weapons.Marshall Islands’, a small island country in the Pacific, fight against three nuclear powers - Britain, India and Pakistan - for their non-cooperation in nuclear disarmament, in the International Court of Justice got nipped...