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The Supreme Court on Thursday held that the Bar Council of India (BCI) and state bar councils have no statutory power to regulate the conduct of law students, saying it was for educational institutions to take action against students in accordance with their own regulatory norms. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana passed the order while dealing with the controversy arising out of the BCI's action against students of Hyderabad's NALSAR University of Law over their objections to the CJI's proposed participation in the university's convocation. "We are of the opinion that the Advocates Act, 1961, whereunder the BCI has been statutorily created, does not confer any express or implied power upon the BCI or any State Bar Council to take any disciplinary action against the students of law. "Such a power is preceded by registration of a law graduate as an advocate under the said Act. So far as students are concerned, it is their parent ...
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday emphasised that judicial infrastructure development is not a luxury facility but an essential component for the smooth functioning of district courts, as he urged the governments of Punjab and Haryana to strengthen infrastructure at both sub-divisional and district courts. The CJI stated that a lawyer's professional focus may be disrupted and their stress levels may unnecessarily increase because they worry about where to park their car in the morning while preparing to argue a case, cross-examine a witness, or draft a legal pleading. His remarks followed the inauguration of a multi-level parking facility at the district courts complex in Chandigarh. The event was attended by Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Supreme Court judges Justice AG Masih and Justice Sheel Nagu. CJI Kant mentioned that Chandigarh holds a special significance in his life as it is his "Karam Bhoomi." He described the inauguration as an emotional moment and ..
The rule of law is neither a welfare scheme nor an economic policy, and it rather disciplines the exercise of power to ensure that no person is left vulnerable to the "whims" of an arbitrary government, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said on Monday. The CJI was delivering the keynote address at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) conference in Stockholm. The theme of the conference was "Safeguarding the Rule of Law -- Experiences from India and Sweden". Justice Kant underscored the centrality of the rule of law, judicial independence and constitutional democracy in safeguarding individual liberties, asserting that judicial review is not merely a power but a constitutional duty entrusted to the courts. "The rule of law is neither a welfare scheme nor an economic policy. It does not, by itself, bake bread, create livelihoods or remove poverty. What it does is something more fundamental, though less immediately visible: it disciplines the
Indian judiciary has promoted mediation not only as an alternative but as a robust dispute resolution mechanism, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said during a panel discussion conducted by the Indian High Commission in London. Stating that mediation was very close to his heart, the CJI said that the Supreme Court Legal Service Committee (SCLSC) has created a huge team of trained mediators. "I can say proudly that in every town, in every street (in India) people know what mediation is," the CJI said. The High Commission in London on Wednesday hosted a high-level panel discussion on "Technology and the Future of Mediation" and brought together leading judicial and legal figures from India and the United Kingdom, according to a press statement. Besides the CJI, the panel featured Lord Hamblen of Kersey, Judge of the UK Supreme Court; Kirsty Brimelow KC, President of the Bar Council of England and Wales; and Brett Dixon, Vice President of the Law Society of England and Wales. High .
Artificial intelligence is no longer a speculative technology but an operational reality and poses one of the most significant tests for international law, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has said, underlining that choices made during this decade will shape the future relationship between technology, power, freedom, and justice. He also stressed that technology itself is neither inherently benevolent nor inherently harmful. Speaking at a public lecture in Birkbeck College of University of London on "Artificial Intelligence and International Law", he said unlike previous technological revolutions, AI does not merely enhance human capacity; it increasingly participates in decision-making processes that were historically considered uniquely human. "Technology itself is neither inherently benevolent nor inherently harmful. Its impact depends upon the legal, political, and ethical frameworks within which societies choose to deploy it. The responsibility of law, therefore, is neither t
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Tuesday administered the oath of office to five new judges of the Supreme Court, taking the strength of judges at the top court to 37, the highest ever. The CJI administered the oath of office to Justices Sheel Nagu, Shree Chandrashekhar, Sanjeev Sachdeva, Arun Palli and V Mohana as apex court judges. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the apex court premises. The strength of judges at the apex court will now be 37, one short of the upgraded sanctioned strength of 38. The Centre on Monday cleared the appointment of Justice Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Justice Sachdeva, Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Justice Palli, Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court and senior advocate Mohana as top court judges. The government last month promulgated an ordinance amending a law to increase the sanctioned strength of the apex
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday alleged a crackdown on the satirical digital outfit, saying it does not have access to any of its social media accounts following a series of takedowns and hacking incidents. In a post on X, he claimed his personal Instagram account has also been hacked. This comes a day two days after the CJP's account on X was withheld in India and Dipke created a new one. The outfit on Friday launched a campaign seeking Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over alleged systemic failures in the education sector and the NEET-UG 2026 paper "leak". Later in the day, Dipke claimed that he was receiving death threats and shared screenshots of the threat messages. In a post on X on Saturday, Dipke listed what he described as coordinated action against the movement. "Crackdown on Cockroach Janta Party. Instagram page hacked. My personal Instagram hacked. Twitter account withheld. Back up account also taken down," he ...
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said here on Saturday that technology is the only effective answer to wastage of judiciary's time. He was speaking at a programme of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on 'Fragmentation to fusion empowering justice via united digital platform integration' here. "We should think of deepening technology and AI-based judicial architecture," the CJI said. "Technology is the only effective answer to wastage of judiciary's time," he added. State Chief Minister Mohan Yadav was also present for the event.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday announced the launch of a major digital initiative aimed at strengthening judicial data integration and improving public access to court services across the country. Making the announcement at the outset of the day's proceedings, the CJI said the judiciary is commencing the "One Case One Data" initiative, which will integrate multi-level information from all the high courts, district courts and taluka courts into a unified system. "We are commencing the 'one case one data' initiative with multi-level information of all high courts, district and taluka court details embedded. We look forward to developing an efficient case management system," the CJI said. The initiative is expected to streamline case management by creating a more comprehensive and interconnected digital database across the country's courts. The CJI also announced the launch of "Su Sahay", an Artificial Intelligence-powered assistance chatbot integrated with the Supreme Co
Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Saturday said the judiciary and its allied institutions enjoy deep public trust and it is their responsibility to preserve and strengthen this faith. Addressing a programme organised by the Association of Retired Judges (Rajasthan Chapter) here, he likened former judges to 'baoris' (stepwells), describing them as a reservoir of wisdom that can guide the system during challenging times. "Just as stepwells store water during the rains and serve people in times of scarcity, retired judges are a valuable resource for us. In situations of difficulty -- be it in Lok Adalats, arbitration or advisory roles -- we look up to these experienced judges for guidance on what is right and what is not," he said. Justice Surya Kant laid emphasis on the need for greater awareness and proactive functioning within the judiciary and related bodies, including the National Legal Services Authority and state legal services authorities. He said that former judges