By Sujit Bhar In the structured formality of courtrooms and the solemnity of legal proceedings, a seemingly small interaction can sometimes carry the weight of great meaning. This was recently illustrated in the Supreme Court, in an incident involving Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and a young lawyer. The event, though brief and…
By Kumkum Chadha Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court, Mukul Rohatgi also served as India’s Attorney General. His friendship with the late Arun Jaitley, who was also Union minister, is well-known. What is not is his proximity to Narendra Modi: the association that began when Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat and one that…
The Delhi High Court has granted bail to Syed Ahmad Shakeel, elder son of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief and proscribed terrorist Syed Salahuddin, booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in a terror funding case of 2011. The Bench of Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur observed on Friday that Section 43D (5) of the UAPA…
The Supreme Court has restored the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal’s award of Rs 8.55 lakh to the parents of a 10-year-old boy, who died after being hit by a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus. The incident took place when the child was going to school on his cycle. The Tribunal had fixed the boy’s…
Rajshri Rai (RR): What is the potential impact of the Indian government’s proposed amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, particularly the redefinition of “court” and the provisions for a more streamlined, time-bound process, on India’s goal of becoming a major international arbitration hub? Justice Hemant Gupta (JHG): The goal is to make India a…
By Jyotika Kalra On Sunday, July 27, thousands gathered at the Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar with hope and devotion, but within minutes, their faith was met with fear. A rumour broke out about a live electricity wire falling on the stairs. This created a sense of fear amongst the devotees and triggered a deadly…
By Dr Swati Jindal Garg “A functioning, robust democracy requires a healthy, educated, participatory followership, and an educated, morally grounded leadership.” Taking a cue from this sentiment, the Supreme Court has sounded the alarm on a growing democratic malaise—the erosion of the anti-defection law through partisan delays by presiding officers of legislative assemblies. In a…
By Dilip Bobb Two recent events, one being a heart-breaking tragedy, and the other well deserving if belated, involved NALSA, or the National Legal Services Authority. The tragedy was the horrific Air India crash in Ahmedabad. NALSA and the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority (GLSA) launched a joint initiative to provide legal and psychological support…
By Vickram Kilpady The linguistic reorganisation of states has been a necessary and inevitable chapter in India’s political evolution. It cannot now be dismissed as a historical mistake simply because “faith” or its euphemism “culture” might be imagined as a more cohesive national adhesive, as Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi recently suggested. Being an IPS…
By Binny Yadav Should a 17-year-old boy be labelled a rapist for being in a consensual relationship with his 16-year-old girlfriend? That’s the question at the heart of an intense legal and moral debate currently before the Supreme Court. At stake is the future of thousands of adolescents whose romantic choices are landing them—and often…