CATEGORIES

HE SHOT FIRST

The deadly shooting of six unarmed miners in Nagaland raises questions about the Act which protects the army if the law is broken by its officers in “aid of civil power”. But how does one pacify the families of the victims?

On the Margins

The Court has tried to reduce marginalisation of homosexuals and women in the armed forces through recent judgments. This goes to prove that even if justice is delayed, it is better than no justice at all

A New Lease of Life

As India becomes the centre of the global fertility industry, two bills seek to curb unethical practices pertaining to sex selection and exploitation of surrogate mothers

The Trump Revelations

A seriously divided nation is confronting what to do as evidence shows that a mob attack on the Capitol Building on January 6 this year was but one aspect of a multi-faceted plan to destroy the peaceful transfer of power between political parties in the United States

Women's Empowerment: From 18 to 21....

In order to enhance the health, well-being and nutritional levels of mother and child, the centre has cleared a proposal to raise the legal age of marriage of women to 21 years

Modi Versus Modi

Businessman and former IPL head Lalit Modi’s mother Bina Modi, his sister Charu and brother Samir have filed a suit seeking to restrain the arbitration proceedings initiated by London-based Lait Modi in Singapore over property disputes in the family. The apex court may have found a way to ease the way for a settlement

How Twitter Protects VIPs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s twitter account was briefly hacked but restored almost immediately. A recent investigation by Bloomberg, the US-based financial services company reveals that Twitter has a project that protects VIPs and their accounts

A Short, But Urgent Constitutional Message

In a welcome development, the Supreme Court advised the political class to be more tolerant of each other’s opinion and said that the debasement in dialogue had become the chief problem of democracy

A Progressive Judgment

Constitutionalism and judicial duties were articulated accurately in this Supreme Court judgment penned by Justice NV Ramana. It is hoped that the judicial voice is heard by all organs of the State and representatives of the people

BURNING ISSUE

A CJI Ramana-led bench reprimanded and nudged governments to work together to control this menace keeping in view that the right to a pollution-free environment is enshrined in the Constitution

Gutsy Initiatives

Justice NV Ramana’s tenure as the CJI has seen many firsts—appointments to courts, more women judges and elevation of lawyers. His boldness in promoting the rule of law as per the Constitution should also be seen in expediting adjudication of cases

The Diversity Deficit

The Constitution grants equal status to men and women. CJI Ramana said that women’s representation in the judiciary must be highlighted. It deserves serious attention by all stakeholders of the legal profession

Faster Bail

The right to seek bail is implicit in the Constitution. In a laudable move, a CJI-led bench announced the FASTER system whereby prisoners granted bail will no longer have to wait for a physical copy of the order to reach jails for their release

The Practicality of Pro Bono

The Constitution provides for equal justice and free legal aid. Advising the legal profession, CJI Ramana said that its primary aim should be to serve justice in its truest sense. Pro Bono programmes can be the way forward

A Courageous Stand

Chief Justice Ramana and the collegiums deserve kudos for pushing recommendations for the appointment of 12 persons to five High Courts. The Constitution provides for a judiciary which is independent

Court Comes Home

The pandemic led to virtual hearings and while these were lucrative for some senior lawyers, junior ones were either out of work or had to change their professions in order to survive

Basic Structure Doctrine in Canada?

The recent decision of the Supreme Court of Canada makes one wonder whether there is any other example of more complex and contradictory discourse than the question concerning the nature and limits of constitutional constituent power!

Going for Broke

The former president's effort is to tie up matters in court proceedings as much as possible until after the 2022 election in the hope that the Republicans gain control of the Congress and make the investigation into the January 6 insurrection go away

Gauri Lankesh murder: SC restores charges under organised crime law against accused Mohan Nayak

The Supreme Court restored the charges under the Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA), 2000, against accused Mohan Nayak in the activist Gauri Lankesh (right) murder case.

Aryan, seven others in custody till October 30, says lower court, even as Bombay HC fixes hearing for October 26

A special court in Mumbai extended the judicial custody of actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan (left) and seven others till October 30 in the Mumbai cruise ship drug case. However, Aryan's bail hearing will come up at the Bombay High Court on October 26 itself.

Force Deployment and Politics

The recent decision of the government to extend the area of operation of the Border Security Force to the international boundary within Punjab, Assam and West Bengal has caused a political row. Is it justifiable?

Paying a Heavy Price

Despite a new mechanism forjudicial appointments and transfers being in place, judges are transferred without assigning any reason. This will adversely impact the justice delivery system of High Courts

No Witness For Prosecution

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted again last week. In earlier cases too against him, investigative agencies found it a herculean task to secure prosecuting witnesses, emphasising the need for a law on witness protection

Pregnant Pause

The amendment to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act is a step in the right direction but it does not go far enough, retaining the notion that the State must decide the circumstances in which termination of pregnancy should be allowed

This is the Pits

The Orissa High Court pulled up the state government and asked it to pay Rs 10 lakh each to the fathers of two girls who drowned in a pit in an anganwadi which wasn't barricaded

The Conscience of the State

A row recently erupted in Punjab over the office of the A-G. Though the A-G is the CM’s man, he has to act without fear or favour in protecting the rule of law, constitutionalism and judicial independence in the state

Too Little, Too Late

The apex court had asked NDMA to recommend guidelines for ex-gratia assistance to family members of persons who died due to Covid-19. Later, it expressed displeasure over the delay in framing guidelines for the issuance of death certificates to the affected families. Now, the government has taken a U-turn and responded

The Greening of the Court

Recent and past judgments by the apex court show that environmental matters are being taken up with the seriousness they deserve, with the top court acting on them decisively

Bottom of the Barrel

The Competition Commission of India has cracked down on a range of beer producers, nailing a cartel that was fixing beer prices and levying hefty fines. These include some of the biggest names in the business. How was this done and how can it be stopped?

The Ramana Effect

The CJI’s tenure has seen many firsts—appointments to courts, more women judges and elevation of lawyers. His boldness in promoting the rule of law should also be seen in expediting adjudication of cases