Law

The Delhi High Court on Monday ruled that no law student in the country should be detained from sitting in examinations due to lack of minimum attendance. The high court, which passed a slew of directions in relation to mandatory attendance requirement in law colleges, asked the Bar Council of India (BCI) to modify the mandatory attendance norms. Due to shortage of attendance, student's promotion to next semester class cannot be withheld, it said. A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Sharma passed the order while disposing of a suo motu petition, initiated by the Supreme Court, in relation to the death of law student Sushant Rohilla by suicide in 2016 after allegedly being barred from sitting for the semester exams due to lack of requisite attendance. Having heard at length the submission of all stakeholders in this case over the course of hearing and having considered the stark realities that have come to the surface, this court is strongly of the view that norms education in

There is no risk that fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi will not get a fair trial in India after his extradition, a Belgian court has ruled, underlining that he has failed to demonstrate any "serious risk" of being subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment. A four-member indictment chamber at the Court of Appeals in Antwerp has found no infirmity in the orders issued by the pre-trial chamber of the Antwerp district court on November 29, 2024, allowing Choksi's extradition. The district court had termed the arrest warrants issued by a Mumbai special court on May 23, 2018 and June 15, 2021 "enforceable", which has been upheld by the Court of Appeals in its order dated October 17. The third warrant, related to disappearance of evidence, was not accepted by the Belgian court. The Court of Appeals has held that the documents Choksi submitted do not substantiate his claims that he is the subject of a political trial. It said that it is up to the subject to provide evidence ...

Is there any hope now that the Modi government will be able to overcome any political resistance to those proposals in the form of a new amendment Bill for the power distribution sector?

Pushkaraj Sabharwal, father of deceased Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, and the Federation of Indian Pilots have moved the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored inquiry headed by a former apex court judge into the on June 12 crash of Air India flight AI171 in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people. On September 22, the top court said certain aspects of the AAIB preliminary report on the crash indicated lapses on the part of pilots, and had issued notices to the Centre and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on another plea seeking an independent, fair and expeditious probe. Pushkaraj Sabharwal, 91, has sought a fair, transparent and technically robust investigation into the tragic incident. An incomplete and prejudiced inquiry, without identification of the exact cause of the accident, endangers the lives of future passengers and undermines aviation safety at large, causing a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, the plea said. The petition, filed through AP&J Chambers on ..

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea by Asian Paint against the Competition Commission of India's order directing an investigation against it for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the market for manufacturing and sale of decorative paints. A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court order, which upheld the CCI probe. As the apex court was not inclined to entertain the matter, the matter was dismissed as withdrawn. The CCI direction followed a complaint filed by Grasim Industries (Birla Paints Division), which accused Asian Paints of engaging in exclusionary practices aimed at stifling its entry and growth in the Indian decorative paints segment. "The Commission is of the opinion that a prima facie case of contravention of the provisions of section 4(2)(a)(i), 4(2)(c) and 4(2)(d) of the Act by the OP (Asian Paints) is made out in the present matter," CCI had said in the order. Section 4 of the ...

Vijay Mallya, wanted in India to face trial on fraud and money laundering charges, has discontinued an application to annul a UK bankruptcy order ahead of a planned hearing in London on Monday. It means the "Trustee in Bankruptcy" can continue to pursue assets to help a consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) realise the repayment of an estimated judgment debt of around 1.05 billion pounds owed by the 69-year-old's now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. A High Court hearing to set the directions for the annulment application to be heard was vacated after Mallya's legal team filed a notice of discontinuance last week. Vijay Mallya's Trustee in Bankruptcy will be able to continue with their work in investigating and realising assets falling within his bankruptcy estate without any hindrance that this application might have caused them, UK law firm TLT LLP, representing the banks, said in a statement. It follows High Court Judge Anthony Mann's ruling in favour of the banks

In a relief to the West Bengal government, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled that land acquired for Tata Motors' 'Nano' car project in Singur will not be restored to the industrial entities which were operating there prior to the acquisition. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi interpreted the apex court's 2016 verdict in Kedar Nath Yadav's case that quashed the land acquisition proceedings for establishing the manufacturing plant of Tata Motors. The bench said the 2016 judgement was anchored on the premise that the acquisition disproportionately affected vulnerable communities lacking financial resources and institutional access to challenge governmental action. The bench noted that this court had directed restoration of land to the original landowners/cultivators by the state within a period of 12 weeks. "Extraordinary judicial intervention is warranted when systemic barriers prevent certain classes from accessing ordinary remedies, not when parties possess adequat

In most courts, witness statements are recorded in writing - either by the presiding judge or a designated court typist working on the judge's instructions

The court upheld a previous order denying Roche's injunction plea, citing public interest and affordability in treatment for spinal muscular atrophy patients

The International Criminal Court on Monday convicted a leader of the feared Janjaweed militia of playing a leading role in a campaign of atrocities committed in the Sudanese region of Darfur more than 20 years ago. It was the first time the court has convicted a suspect of crimes in Darfur. The three-judge panel ruled that the atrocities, including mass murders and rapes, were part of a government plan to violently snuff out a rebellion in the western region of Sudan. Ali Muhammad Ali AbdAl-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, wearing a suit and tie and listening through a headset, showed no emotion as Presiding Judge Joanna Korner read out 27 guilty verdicts. He will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum life sentence. He was convicted of crimes for leading Janjaweed militia forces in Darfur that went on a campaign of killing in 2003-2004. He encouraged and gave instructions that resulted in the killings, the rapes and destruction committed by the Janjaweed, Korner said,

Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on Friday said the Indian legal system is governed by rule of law and not by "rule of the bulldozer". Delivering the inaugural Sir Maurice Rault Memorial Lecture 2025 in Mauritius on 'Rule of Law in the Largest Democracy', he referred to his own verdict deprecating 'bulldozer justice'. Sir Maurice Rault, a noted jurist, was the Chief Justice of Mauritius from 1978 to 1982. Highlighting the principle of rule of law and its expansive interpretation by the Supreme Court of India, Justice Gavai, who is on a three-day official visit to the island nation, said, "The judgment sent a clear message that the Indian legal system is governed by the rule of law, not by the rule of the bulldozer." In the judgement in the 'bulldozer justice' case, the apex court held that demolition of houses of accused in response to alleged offenses bypasses legal processes, violates the rule of law and infringes upon the fundamental right to shelter under Article 21. "It was .

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said elections in state bar councils have to be held by January 31, 2026 keeping mind the long pendency. A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh said verification drive for LLB certificates cannot be a ground for postponing the elections. "Having regard to the fact that elections to the State Bar Councils have not been held for decades, we have impressed upon senior counsel appearing for the Bar Council of India to ensure that elections of all State Bar Councils are held, if not simultaneously, in phased manner, by January 31, 2026," the bench ordered. The top court was informed that the ongoing drive for verification of LLB certificates of advocates revealed a large number of fake degrees. "There are people with fake degrees or no degrees at all. Then there are criminals who disguise themselves as lawyers to enter courtrooms and create violence," Justice Kant said, while lauding the drive. The bench said in a democratic ...

A special court here on Tuesday ordered the restoration of a 2021 benami property case, in which Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal was one of the accused, noting the Bombay High Court earlier quashed the proceeding only on "technical grounds and not on merits". The case has now been restored to its original stage and the next hearing is scheduled for October 6 before the special MP/MLA court in Mumbai. The I-T department had in 2021 initiated proceeding against Bhujbal, his family members and their firms -- Armstrong Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, Parvesh Constructions Pvt Ltd and Devisha Constructions Pvt Ltd -- regarding alleged benami assets. The central agency had alleged they were beneficial owners involved in benami transactions during the financial years 2008-09 and 2010-11. Notably, benami properties are those that are held by an owner through proxies. The special court had initially issued summonses to the accused in November 2021. However, the accused, including NCP ...

A Delhi court on Monday sent a woman, who allegedly drove the BMW car involved in the crash that killed a senior Finance Ministry official and left his wife injured in Dhaula Kuan, to two-day judicial custody. Duty Magistrate Akanksha Singh sent Gaganpreet Kaur (38) to judicial custody after she was produced before the judge at her residence, and said her custodial interrogation was not required, her counsel, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa said. The judge also issued notice to Delhi Police and victim's kin on the bail application moved by Kaur, and directed to file their replies by September 15, when the court concerned will hear the matter. Kaur was arrested on culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other charges on Monday after being discharged from a hospital, police said. Several questions were raised on the handling of the aftermath of the crash as the FIR alleged that Kaur, took the victims, Navjot Singh and his wife Sandeep Kaur, to a healthcare facility more than 19 ...

The Supreme Court is slated to pronounce on Monday its interim orders on three key issues, including the power to denotify properties declared as "waqf by courts, waqf-by-user or waqf by deed", which cropped up during the hearing of pleas challenging the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. A bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai on May 22 reserved the interim orders on these issues after hearing both sides in the waqf case. According to the cause list of September 15 uploaded on the apex court website, the court will deliver its order in the matter. One of the issues relate to the power to denotify properties declared as "waqf by courts, waqf-by-user or waqf by deed" prescribed in the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. Before reserving the interim order, the bench heard arguments by advocates appearing for those challenging the amended waqf law, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, on three consecutive days. The bench previously identified the three issu

A Delhi court on Thursday dismissed a plea seeking action against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, alleging her name was included in the electoral rolls three years before she became an Indian citizen. Additional chief judicial magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia dismissed the plea. A detailed order is awaited. On September 10, senior advocate Pavan Narang, appearing for the complainant, Vikas Tripathi said in January 1980 Gandhi's name was added as a voter of New Delhi constituency when she was not an Indian citizen. "First, you have to satisfy the threshold of citizenship, then you will become a resident of an area," he said. Narang said in 1980, the proof of residence was probably a ration card or a passport. "If she was a citizen, then why was her name deleted in 1982? Two names were deleted then by the election commission, one was of Sanjay Gandhi after he died in a plane crash, and the other was of Sonia Gandhi," he said. Narang said the election commission must have found something

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said governors were expected to act within reasonable time even if the term as soon as possible were not there in Article 200 that governs powers to assent to bills passed by the state legislature. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai, hearing arguments on the eighth day on the presidential reference, whether the court could impose timelines for governors and President to deal with bills passed by assemblies, reiterated it would only interpret the Constitution and not examine facts of individual cases. Article 200 governs powers of Governor regarding bills passed by the state legislature, allowing them to either assent to the bill, withhold assent, return the bill for reconsideration or reserve the bill for the consideration of President. The first proviso of Article 200 says Governor may, as soon as possible, after the presentation to him of the bill for assent, return the bill, if it is not a money bill, to the house for ..

Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi were on Wednesday elevated as judges of the Supreme Court, the government said. Their names were recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium on Monday and their appointments were announced by the Union law ministry on Wednesday. Once the two take oath, the top court will function with its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges, including the chief justice of India (CJI). Justice Pancholi will be in line to become the CJI in October 2031 after Justice Joymalya Bagchi's retirement on October 2, 2031. He would assume the CJI's office on October 3, 2031, and retire on May 27, 2033. Born on April 13, 1964, Justice Aradhe was appointed as an additional judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 29, 2009, and as a permanent judge on February 15, 2011. He was transferred to the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and took oath on September 20, 2016. He was appointed as the acting chi

The Supreme Court directed the SIT to complete its inquiry and submit a report by September 12. The matter was listed to be heard next on September 15

Commercial and prohibited speeches are not covered under the fundamental right, the Supreme Court on Monday said as it asked five social media influencers, including "India's Got Latent" host Samay Raina, to display their unconditional apology in their podcasts or shows for ridiculing persons with disabilities and rare genetic disorders. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said the degree of repentance should be higher than the degree of offending and made it clear that the court would consider imposing a penalty on the influencers for offending disabled persons by social media influencers, at a later stage. "It is like purging contempt," Justice Kant said while asking the influencers to apprise the court on how much penalty they were willing to pay, which in turn can be utilised in the treatment of people suffering from rare genetic disorders like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The five influencers are accused of making fun of the disabled and those suffering from SM