By Dilip Bobb A staggering 76 percent of prisoners in Indian jails are undertrials, many of whom remain behind bars simply because they cannot afford bail or pay fines, as discovered by a parliamentary panel, last year. The report, submitted to the Rajya Sabha by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, highlights an urgent…
By Kumkum Chadha The much-awaited apex court judgment has had a mixed reaction: different sections, particularly the Muslims, are guarded, doing what it takes to camouflage their disappointment as hope, so to speak. Whether they expected less or more is difficult to say, but they perhaps take solace in the fact that this is an…
By Sanjay Raman Sinha A casual observation by Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai during a hearing on the Javari Temple idol reinstallation case at Khajuraho sparked an unexpected uproar. When the petitioners pressed their plea, the CJI reportedly said: “Ask the deity to do something.” The remark, intended in jest, triggered outrage—culminating in…
By Inderjit Badhwar The relationship between law and morality has always been uneasy, yet inseparable. Law is the instrument by which a society governs itself; morality is the compass by which it knows whether it should. This week’s cover story: When Law Meets Conscience: Gandhi, Ambedkar, and the Moral Compass of Justice by Binny Yadav…
By Binny Yadav When the moral and constitutional idealism of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr BR Ambedkar faces its sternest trials in modern India, their philosophies continue to guide the Republic’s conscience. Gandhi’s conviction that “there is a higher court than courts of justice—the court of conscience” and Ambedkar’s insistence on constitutional morality together form the…
The Supreme Court of India has announced a significant expansion of its free Wi‑Fi facility, making it available across the entire main building of the Court. Previously, the complimentary internet service was limited to specific courtrooms and nearby corridors, but under the latest initiative, lawyers, litigants, court staff, and visitors can now access Wi‑Fi in…
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of India challenging the constitutional validity of Section 62(5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which bars individuals confined in prison whether convicted or facing trial—from casting their vote during elections. The plea, filed by Aditya Prasanna Bhattacharya, a law student, argues that the…
The Supreme Court of India has asked the Central government to file its response to a petition seeking a definite timeline for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The petition, filed by Zahoor Ahmad Bhat and Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, urges the government to specify when it intends to reinstate the region’s statehood, which…
Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on Thursday said he and Justice K Vinod Chandran were shocked when a lawyer attempted to hurl a shoe at him on October 6, but the issue is a “forgotten chapter.” In an unprecedented and shocking incident, a 71-year-old lawyer, Rakesh Kishore, took his shoe in his hand and…
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s plea seeking extension of the deadline for registering Waqf properties on the UMEED portal will be listed, the Supreme Court said, with Chief Justice of India BR Gavai noting that listing doesn’t amount to granting the desired relaxation. Advocate Nizam Pasha, representing Owaisi, informed the bench of CJI…