CATEGORIES

Back to the Future

The eyes of the world are on the President-elect and the new team he has assembled to help him restore America’s global standing, badly undermined by Donald Trump. What lies ahead, judging by the names on his A Team, for India and a new world order?

A Matter of Choice

In a far-reaching judgment, the Allahabad High Court has said that cases of religious conversion are irrelevant if both parties are adults and in a consenting relationship. This cannot be infringed upon by the State

Celebrating The Constitution

The day, also known as National Law Day, is celebrated in India on November 26 every year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India in November 1949 which came into effect on January 26, 1950

The Road Less Travelled

The exit of this iconic company from India has shocked dealers who have invested huge sums in their showrooms. They’ve appointed a law firm for probable legal action for higher compensation from Harley

The Protective Gaze

The Court has given progressive judgments on women’s property rights. While some ensured equal rights to daughters even when the father had died, others saw to it that married women were not left in the lurch due to desertion

Difficult Diktat

The Bill makes it mandatory for private companies to reserve 75 percent of jobs for residents of the state and has led to a furore among industry and Opposition parties

Under the Scanner

The rules for organisations seeking foreign funding have been tightened. But the fact remains that some are doing yeoman’s service and even filled the gap left by government programmes during the pandemic

Warriors Left Adrift

There is a sense of grief and disappointment among doctors that despite risking their lives, the centre doesn’t even have data of the frontline workers who died valiantly treating coronavirus patients

Taking a Joke too Far

Kamra is as close as we can get to medieval European court jesters or village fools. By punishing a jester for a joke, we put at risk our right to free speech, sense of humour and right to say what we think needs to be said

Police Nirvana

In a recent case of alleged rape and murder of two minors, a UP police officer revealed the names of the victims, violating a Supreme Court order against such acts. Many news outlets also published the names

We Are Not Amused

The comedian has been suddenly elevated to the status of a national joke-maker because the A-G, like the good Queen Victoria, is not amused. Have we lost our sense of humour, along with smell, in Covid times?

Act Now, or Pay the Price

Data protection in an organisation is a legal mandate to be executed and companies are expected to appoint data officers. These and other data challenges are being debated and dealt with by experts

The Fight For Beds

In a laudable order, the Delhi High Court has asked 33 private hospitals to reserve 80 percent of ICU beds for coronavirus patients. It vacated an earlier stay, noting that the ground reality had “radically changed”

The filth of OIL

An NGT report exposed the fact that the oilfield in Assam is operating without mandatory environmental clearances. It also said that a blowout has been spewing gas for 160 days now, impacting 10 km of eco-sensitive land

Race for a Better Scorecard

Under the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act, the government has a duty under Articles 47 and 21 to save and protect lives. It, therefore, cannot put curbs on testing of Covid-19 patients

Protecting the Rights of Accused

In a landmark judgment, the Court held that confession to officers under the Act is not admissible as evidence during trial and infringes on the Constitution. This will have ramifications for the Rhea Chakraborty case as well as others

Let's Go Green

In accordance with a 2018 order of the apex court, the Delhi government has said it will allow the use, manufacture and sale of only green crackers this Diwali and formed squads to check on compliance

Parting Amicably

In a laudable judgment, the Bombay High Court waived the six months’ cooling-off period under the Hindu Marriage Act as the woman was pregnant by another man

Strange, Surreal and Surprising

The writer’s first story for India Legal was four years ago explaining that Donald Trump’s election as US president could be the start of the Second American Revolution. The big question, regardless of the eventual outcome is did it stick ideologically, and what are the consequences?

Is this an Eyewash?

The state is attempting to enact an Act ostensibly meant to protect journalists, but how sincere is it when there have been 22 cases of administrative assault on journalists in the last two years?

Clutching at Straws

In a positive move, IARI has developed capsules which can decompose stubble from paddy harvest to manure. This will be used in states to reduce pollution, an issue that has gripped courts too

A Policy that Needs Revision

While the transfers of High Court judges may be constitutionally permissible, they may not be necessary. Ending transfers of judges will make High Courts judicially strong, effective and independent

Alternate Reality: India Joins Global Gaslighting Epidemic

The term “gaslighting” has seen an increase in frequency after Donald Trump took office, but it is also being replicated in a number of countries, from Brazil and China to Turkey and Belarus, and increasingly, in India

Vocal for Local

In a first of its kind, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has made it mandatory for anyone filing a case to appoint a local lawyer. How would the future of the legal arena look if this spreads to all high courts?

Fumigation Furore

The apex court has pulled up the centre for only issuing an advisory on the use of disinfectants and UV rays on humans. It has directed the government to come up with directions to ban/regulate their use

What's Love Got To Do With It?

Tina Turner’s famous song could well illustrate the unsettling phenomenon taking place in UP, Haryana, MP and Karnataka where girls are lured by Muslim men. The states are now thinking of a law against it

Died to Vote: Fierce Voter Wars & the Presidential Poll

The election marks the resurgence of the American dream. But President Trump alleging “systematic” voter fraud even after the results were out is a constitutional disgrace. One hopes no further unbecoming conduct will mark the smooth transition of democratic power

Stop Making a Spectacle

In a laudable move, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has said that producing suspects before the media is violative of Article 21 of the Constitution as unless he is convicted, his innocence has to be presumed

Return to Reason

US President-elect Joe Biden’s nearly 50 years in public life and a well-formed philosophy on democracy suggest that the two largest democracies in the world are likely to find a comfortable relationship, but not without some disagreements

An Antiquated, Unnecessary System

Having an Electoral College inspires little confidence as it is the voters who cast vote for the candidate and the winner takes all the votes assigned to a state. Candidates also give preference to swing states, often compromising governance