CATEGORIES

THE REGURGITATION THEORY

Our justice delivery system is paying a great price for what the founding fathers did with a laudable objective, namely, to ensure consistency and certainty in law. However, they must be turning in their graves, because of the violence we have done to Article 141. It is time for a rethink

TARDY JUSTICE

It is time that the apex court decides cases of constitutional importance fast. Their adjudication is necessary to restore people's trust in the institution of the judiciary and to advance the rule of law

NEET NOT A HOLY COW

The Tamil Nadu government and the governor seem to be headed on a collision course over this crucial medical exam as the former has passed the NEET Exemption Bill in contravention of the apex court's opinion

LEAVE THEM MAJORS ALONE

In a forward-looking judgment, the MP High Court held that no moral policing could be allowed where two majors are willing to stay together either through marriage or a live-in relationship

JUSTICE FOR JUVENILES

Noting that an “alarming number” of children in conflict with law is detained in “adult jails” in the national capital, the Delhi High Court is considering to issue a slew of measures in order to apprise the arrestees of their legal rights

Jihad Against Love

The BJP's manifesto for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections reiterates that the party, if it returns to power, would bring in a jail term of minimum 10 years for those found guilty of indulging in love jihad. Election promises tend to ignore Constitutional rights

The Cryptocurrency Challenge

The El Dorado of virtual currencies has the potential to become a quicksand for consumers. The government has taxed crypto trade, but are laws and regulations in place to protect consumers? The India Legal show, hosted by Rajshri Rai, Editor-in-Chief, APN channel, tries to deconstruct the ecosystem of cryptocurrency.

GANDHI AND THE SPANISH FLU

The Spanish flu of 1918-1920 was a great human disaster. It infected a third of the people on Earth and killed between 50 and 100 million people. However, a British author suggests that the 1918 pandemic also altered the course of India's independence movement

SNUBBING UNCLE SAM

There are numerous parallels between the Senate Select Committee to Investigate Campaign Practices from the 1972 presidential election involving Richard Nixon and the current situation related to former president Donald Trump. But it is mystifying to see the latter making diehard attempts to run for election again in 2024

KERALA'S “SUPER LOKAYUKTA”

The move by the state cabinet to amend the Act has been criticised as it will empower the government and clip the wings of the Ombudsman. Critics say it is equal to deceiving the public

Is the Party Over?

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (right) faces an unprecedented leadership crisis following an investigation into what is being dubbed Partygate at 10 Downing Street. The investigation, conducted by a senior civil servant, revealed multiple parties, a culture of excessive drinking and a “failure of leadership" while the rest of the country was living under strict Covid-19 lockdown rules.

Myanmar's Civil War

Till now, it was widely be- groups of armed civilians escalieved that the military, lating each day. Many of those which came to power in a coup a fighting the military are young year ago, had the civil unrest people who have put their lives and protests (below right) under on the line in a bid to face the control.

PERFORMANCE RATING

In a new initiative, ministries will be ranked on their ease of doing business. While this is meant to minimise physical files to reduce corruption, critics say there is no guarantee this will generate jobs

BALANCING THE BOOKS

India will soon start a bad bank to deal with stressed assets in the banking system. But if it is incapable of preserving a healthy balance between assets and liabilities, it will be a disastrous move

BE BIG BROTHER, NOT BIG BOSS

The “steel frame" is under strain. The centre's move to change IAS officers' deputation rules has touched the fragile faultline of centre-state relations. The amendments have the potential to negatively impact the federal structure of the nation. The India Legal TV show, hosted by Rajshri Rai, Editor-in-Chief of APN channel, tries to get to the root of the problem. A report.

BORN FREE STAY FREE

Imparting online teaching is a daunting task in India. Despite collective efforts, the closure of schools has adversely impacted the well-rounded development of students and led to their mental stress

A TWO-FACED BUDGET

Nirmala Sitharama's budget raises a key question—if the bottom of the pyramid remains shaky, can the top 10 percent carry the day for the nation?

US SUPREME COURT: BIDEN'S FIRST CHOICE

The seniormost justice of the US Supreme Court, Justice Stephen Breyer, said he will retire at the end of this court term, giving President Joe Biden his first opportunity to appoint a judge at the highest court. Biden on the campaign trail said he would name an African-American woman to the top court

THE SECOND COMING?

Former Supreme Court judge Rohinton Nariman said it was time to do away with sedition laws and allow free speech. But this does not mean spewing hatred against a community. Law enforcement must be robust to be effective and the accused must face law

PROHIBITION AND RIGHTS

The Nitish Kumar government intends to scale down the stringent penal provisions and introduce financial penalties as part of its plan to amend the existing law. The changes follow the recent spate of hooch tragedies and adverse comments by the Supreme Court

PAWNS IN PARTY POLITICS

Proposed changes to IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954, have led to protests from Opposition states as they seem “against the spirit of cooperative federalism” and would change central deputation rules of IAS officers

JUSTICE SIKRI'S QUEST FOR HUMAN DIGNITY

As a Supreme Court judge, Justice AK Sikri reflected upon the debate on human dignity through several landmark judgments and scholarly works. Led by his legal initiatives, the apex court, time and again, recalled the principle of human dignity to identify jurisprudence around Article 21 of the Constitution

BOON OR BANE?

While hearings have their pros during the pandemic, they are not without embarrassing glitches as tech-deficient advocates and judges grapple with the system. There is also the fear of security being compromised

A GIFT OF CITIZENSHIP?

Though the Constitution does not expressly guarantee any fundamental right to citizenship, a rapid survey of all ex parte decisions to decline this important right should be done in a time-bound mode. That is what minimal justice demands

Privacy Rights And Technical Surveillance

The Delhi High Court recently said if illegally intercepted messages or audio conversations having no sanction of law are permitted, it would lead to manifest arbitrariness and would promote scant regard to the procedure and fundamental rights of the citizens

VIGILANTE CRIMES ON THE RISE

Mob lynching has assumed frankensteinian proportions. Despite Supreme Court guidelines, states are yet to get their act together. Only three states have enacted anti-lynching laws, till date. Has vigilante crime got the better of political will? Have cattle protection laws given a fillip to mob violence? Are institutional changes needed in law and policing methods?APN channel did an in-depth discussion to get answers to these questions on its special show India Legal. The show was moderated by the channel's Editor-in-Chief, Rajshri Rai. A report:

LIVING ON YOUR TERMS

The pandemic had exposed all of us to our own mortality. The severe mental stress that many people are experiencing is leading to those under financial and mental strain taking their own lives. Taking control of one's life and death will be looked at with what the law permits.

HEADING FOR TROUBLE

A college in Karnataka has got drawn into a row over hijabs and saffron shawls and banned both of them on the campus despite the Constitution allowing such a dress code

SUSPENDED IN ANIMATION

The suspension of 12 BJP MLAs in the Maharashtra assembly for a year came up for criticism in the apex court. It said that period of suspension should not exceed the session and was “against democracy”

MARTIN LUTHER KING AND VOTING RIGHTS

The family of Dr Martin Luther King marched for the passage of voting rights legislation in Washington last week to honour the assassinated civil right leader on his birthday, a national holiday. King was assassinated in 1968 but his legacy on voting rights is even more relevant in today's America