Page 11 - Courts

Kerala govt to set up more courts for speedy disposal of vigilance cases

The Kerala government has decided to increase the number of courts handling vigilance matters for speedy disposal of such cases. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for evaluating vigilance activities in the state, a government statement said. Besides deciding to set up more courts, the meeting also came out with a slew of fresh directions for improving the probe in vigilance cases, the statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. Among the fresh directions, one was with regard to appointment of vigilance officers. It was directed in the meeting that before appointing officers in the internal vigilance cell, an intelligence inquiry has to be conducted and a report of the same be prepared, the statement said. For appointment of police officers to the vigilance department, it was directed that an examination has to be conducted and a list of eligible candidates prepared, it said. The eligible candidates would be train

Not judges but system at fault, taking steps to improve it, says Rijiju

Voicing concern over the rising pendency of cases, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said it is "not the fault of the judge but of the system", and the government is taking more steps to address the issue. We are moving towards the kind of system that should be there in the country, he said while highlighting efforts to repeal redundant and obsolete laws, improve the infrastructure of courts and equip them with technology. The minister was speaking at a conference on 'Sustainable Development in India: Evolution and Legal Perspective' organised by the Law Commission of India at Mohanlal Sukhadia University in Udaipur. The minister said the number of pending cases has crossed 4.90 crore. It is not a good thing to have so many cases pending in any country or society. It has several reasons... the condition of judges is also bad. One judge handles 50-60 cases in a single day. They dispose of so many cases but the number which comes daily is double. "The common man asks why

Vivad se Vishwas-II: Govt aims to settle 500 cases involving about Rs 1 trn

The Budget has proposed the Vivad se Vishwas-2 scheme to settle long-pending litigation in cases where an arbitration order has been challenged in any Indian court

Centre seeks to interfere in functioning of courts, alleges Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee objected to the Centre's proposal for the inclusion of govt nominees in the collegium system on appointments to the higher judiciary

Kanjhawala hit-and-drag case: Delhi court grants bail to Ashutosh Bhardwaj

A local court here on Tuesday granted bail to Ashutosh Bhardwaj, an accused in the Kanjhawala hit-and-drag case.

More SC, ST, OBC judges in district, subordinate courts than higher courts

Lower judiciary not well-represented in proportion to the population in some states like Odisha and West Bengal

Portal of filing online appearance slips in SC to be activated from Jan 2

In a bid to facilitate the procedure of marking appearances of advocates, the Supreme Court has developed an online module which will be activated from January 2. Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, had on December 16, announced that from New Year, lawyers would not be required to file appearance slips manually, but would log into 'Advocate Appearance Portal' to mark their presence. Presently, advocates write their names along with details like the case and its serial number on a prescribed paper form, to mark their presence in a hearing to ensure that their names get reflected in the court orders or judgements. A notice, uploaded on the apex court's website, regarding activation of portal of filing online appearance slips said that the Advocates-on-Record (AoR) may mark the appearances of lawyers appearing in the court through the link provided on the top court website and on its official mobile application. "The said facility shall be available for the duration spanning from

6.3 mn cases considered delayed due to non-availability of counsel: CJI

Over 63 lakh cases across the country have been considered to be delayed due to non-availability of counsel and over 14 lakh cases are delayed as they await some kind of document or record, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said on Friday here. Speaking at the inauguration of the Andhra Pradesh Judicial Academy, Justice Chandrachud said people must get rid of the colonial mindset of referring to and treating the district courts as subordinate judiciary in hierarchy and in practice. They are not only the backbone of the judiciary but also the first interaction with the judicial institution for many. Bail, but not jail, is one of the most fundamental rules of the criminal justice system. Yet in practice the number of undertrials languishing in prisons in India reflects a paradoxical situation, deprivation of liberty, even for a single day is a day too many, he further said. "Across the country according to the NJDG (National Judicial Data Grid) data, almost 14 lakh cases have b

Allahabad HC reverses UP government notification on OBC reservation

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday ordered conduct of urban local body elections in UP without OBC reservation.

Sense of independence of courts saved democracy during Emergency: CJI

The "fearless sense of independence of courts" saved democracy during the Emergency in 1975, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said here on Saturday. CJI Chandrachud, who assumed the office of the Chief Justice of India in November, was felicitated by the Bombay High Court here. At the ceremony, he spoke at length about several judges of the past and his experience while working with them. "It was judges like Rane who kept the torch of liberty burning which had become dim in those years of Emergency in 1975. It was the fearless sense of independence of our courts which saved Indian democracy in 1975, the CJI said. He said the Indian democracy stands firm because of the "fierce tradition of our own courts, of the judges of the bar who have come together and hoisted the flag, and the torch of freedom for which our court stands and has always stood. Speaking about the Bombay High Court, the CJI said its strength lies in its ability to write, formulate and lay down the law for th

CJI Chandrachud inaugurates 10 district court digitisation hubs in Odisha

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Monday virtually inaugurated 10 district court digitisation hubs (DCDH) in Odisha, and said that modernisation of judiciary is the need of the hour. With Monday's inauguration, a total of 15 DCDHs have now become functional in the state, with each catering to a neighbouring district, thus covering all 30 district courts. Appreciating the information and communication technology (ICT) measures adopted by the Orissa High Court under the leadership of its Chief Justice S Muralidhar, he said, "Digitisation should be accompanied by a push for e-filing of cases." He also said that the Orissa High Court, with its digitisation initiatives, is now a "role model" for all other high courts of the country. "Very soon, the Orissa High Court would be mentoring the entire judiciary of the nation in the field of digitisation," he added.

Number of NRI courts in Punjab should be increased, said NAPA official

The number of NRI courts in Punjab should be increased to ensure timely delivery of justice, said Satnam Singh Chahal, the executive director of North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), on Saturday. He said the Punjabi diaspora is excited about the NRI meetings in Jalandhar, Mohali, Ludhiana, Moga and Amritsar announced by the Punjab government to solve their concerns. "This is the first time in the state that a government is trying to solve issues and concerns of the Punjabi diaspora at their doorsteps. We will make sure that every participant is treated fairly and get his/her complaints addressed," Chahal said. He said gang war is a cause of concern for the Punjabi diaspora and arms licenses should be granted to those NRIs who feel insecure. "Justice should not be delayed and the number of NRI courts should be increased to deliver justice in a time-bound manner," Chahal said.

Prioritise regional languages in court activities, says Law Minister Rijiju

Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday batted for the use of regional languages in the curricular activities of the courts in the country and said he was opposed to "imposition" of one language. Rijiju also said easy access to justice is the "call of the time." In his address at the 12th Convocation of the Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University (TNDALU), he also praised the Tamil language. "As you all know, our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) has a commitment to take the country forward along with our culture and our language. I also have been emphasising on this--that the Indian courts and the Indian legal system must have regional languages in the curricular activities." "I have already spoken to the Chief Justice of India, senior judges of the Supreme Court and all the Chief Justices of the High Courts, that in the future we must give priority to the regional languages," he said. Rijiju added "we all will be proud to see that Tamil language takes centrestage in the

Harvey Weinstein lawyer tells US court in closing: 'Regret is not rape'

An attorney for Harvey Weinstein at his Los Angeles rape and sexual assault trial told jurors on Thursday that prosecutors' case relies entirely on asking them to trust women whose testimony showed they were untrustworthy. Take my word for it' five words that sum up the entirety of the prosecution's case, Jackson told jurors in his closing argument. The 70-year-old former movie magnate is charged with raping and sexually assaulting two women and committing sexual battery against two others. Jackson argued that two of the women were entirely lying about their encounters, while the other two took part in transactional sex for the sake of career advancement that was 100 per cent consensual. But after the #MeToo explosion around Weinstein with stories in the New York Times and the New Yorker which Jackson called a dogpile on his client the women became regretful. Regret is not rape, Jackson told jurors several times. Weinstein is already serving a 23-year sentence for a conviction

SC says rising trend to scandalise courts; issues contempt notices

There is a rising "trend" to scandalise courts, the Supreme Court said on Friday while issuing contempt notices, including to two advocates, for allegedly attributing motive to a Madhya Pradesh High Court judge in a matter related to lease of fishing rights. Taking strong exception that the endeavour is to allegedly scandalise the court, the apex court said a judge is not "infallible" and may have passed a wrong order which can be set aside later, but attributing motives to the judge cannot be permitted. "There is a trend to scandalise the court which is rising," a bench of justices S K Kaul and A S Oka orally observed. "You have attributed motive to the chief justice of the high court for passing an order which may be right or may be wrong," the top court observed. The Supreme Court was hearing a plea against the order passed in August by a Madhya Pradesh High Court division bench of which its chief justice was a part. It also issued notices including to an advocate-on-record (Ao

IRCTC scam case: Delhi court refuses to cancel bail of Tejashwi Yadav

A Delhi court on Tuesday refused to cancel the bail granted to Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on a plea by the CBI in the IRCTC scam, saying it did not find any specific ground to order cancellation of the relief. Special Judge Geetanjali Goel, while declining the CBI's petition, asked the young RJD leader to be careful with words and use them appropriately. In its petition, the CBI had claimed Yadav, at a recent press conference, attempted to subvert the process of law and thwart the entire investigation as well as the consequent trial, and blatantly abused the liberty granted to him. It alleged Yadav issued "direct threat" to CBI officers and their families and "indirect threat" to witnesses. The central probe agency accused Yadav of having attempted to "portray the CBI in bad light and under the influence of political parties" by using innuendoes such as "Jamai" (son-in- law) of a political party. "You are on very responsible post. It is not right to use such words

Ex Pak PM Imran Khan apologises before Judge Zeba Chaudhry's court

Pakistan's ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Friday appeared before a sessions court here to personally apologise to Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, the female judge he had allegedly threatened at a public rally. During a rally in Islamabad on August 20, Khan had threatened to file cases against top police officials, election commission and political opponents over the treatment meted out to his aide Shahbaz Gill, who was arrested on charges of sedition. He had also taken exception to Judge Chaudhry, who had approved Gill's two-day physical remand at the request of the Capital Territory Police, and said she should "prepare herself as action would be taken against her''. Hours after the speech, Khan, 69, was booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act for threatening police, judiciary and other state institutions at his rally. Khan and his lawyers appeared in Judge Chaudhry's court.

SC to live stream hearings: How do courts in other countries do it?

In a judgment in September 2018, the apex court declared a live telecast of court proceedings part of the right to access justice under Article 21 of the Constitution

Courts extremely burdened, mediation necessary: Justice Chandrachud

Supreme Court judge Justice D Y Chandrachud has said that courts in India are "extremely burdened" and "desperately congested", and in view of the alarming rate of high pendency of cases, dispute resolution mechanism like mediation is an important tool. He was delivering Justice Y V Chandrachud Memorial Lecture here on Friday after inaugurating the Indian Law Society's ILS Centre for Arbitration and Mediation (ILSCA). The Indian Law Society has entered its centenary year. "We are aware that the courts in India are extremely burdened, desperately congested. Both literally and metaphorically. According to the study done by PRS Legislative Research, the pendency across all the courts grew by 2.8 per cent annually between 2010 and 2020," Justice Chandrachud said. He added that during the past two years, the pandemic and the tribulations that it brought to the human kind, worsened the already alarming rate of pendency of cases. The data available indicates that there are more than 4.1 .

Small percentage can approach courts, majority suffers in silence: CJI

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana termed access to justice "a tool for social emancipation" and said only a small percentage of the population can approach courts while the majority suffers in silence