Page 3 - Indian Judiciary

At least 3 years' practice must to apply for judicial service exams: SC

SC says fresh law graduates can no longer apply directly for civil judge posts; 3-year practice rule restored for future judicial service recruitments from May 20

SC to urgently hear plea for FIR against Justice Yashwant Varma in cash row

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to list for urgent hearing a plea seeking registration of an FIR against Allahabad High Court's Justice Yashwant Varma in connection with the cash discovery row. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih took note of the submission of lawyer and petitioner Mathews Nedumpara, and said that if defects are cured then it can be listed for hearing Tuesday. It can be listed tomorrow if defects (in the petition) are cured, the CJI said. Nedumpara said he would remove defects, if any, from the petition and urged the bench that it be listed on Wednesday as he is unavailable on Tuesday. The bench agreed to list it on Wednesday provided defects are cured. After an in-house inquiry panel indicted the judge, the then CJI Sanjiv Khanna had nudged Justice Varma to resign. The then CJI wrote to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Justice Varma refused to resign. The petition, filed by Nedumpara and

Judges and civil servants: A post-retirement job remains a grey area

For government posts, there is no cooling-off period. Yet, the Union government under different political regimes has either waived or altered the rules to suit the occasion

Courting reform: Newly appointed CJI B R Gavai must address case pendency

Justice Gavai has been part of several seminal apex court judgments - among them, upholding the revocation of Jammu & Kashmir's special status, the one on demonetisation

If women fly Rafale in IAF, why fewer in Army legal wing: SC asks Centre

If a woman can fly Rafale fighter jet in the Indian Air Force, then why are fewer women officers in gender neutral posts of Judge Advocate General (legal) branch of the Army, the Supreme Court wondered recently and questioned the Centre's rationale on a 50-50 selection criterion. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan on May 8 reserved its verdict on the plea of two officers Arshnoor Kaur and Astha Tyagi, who despite securing 4th and 5th ranks respectively -- higher in merit than their male counterparts -- weren't selected for the JAG department due to fewer vacancies earmarked for women. The officers challenged the disproportionate vacancies for men and women and said they could not be selected as there were only three vacancies for women out of the total six posts. "Prima facie, we are satisfied with the case set up by the petitioner 1 Arshnoor Kaur," the bench noted while reserving its verdict. The top court went on, "Accordingly, we direct the respondents to initiate .

Plea in SC seeks FIR against Justice Varma after in-house inquiry findings

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking registration of an FIR against Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma in connection with the cash-discovery row. After an in-house inquiry panel indicted the judge, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna nudged Justice Varma to resign and later wrote to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he refused. The petition, filed by advocate Mathews Nedumpara and three others, called for immediate initiation of criminal proceedings, saying the in-house committee found the allegations against Justice Varma to be prima facie true. The plea emphasised that while the internal inquiry might lead to judicial disciplinary action, it was no substitute for a criminal investigation under the applicable statutes. In March, the same petitioners had approached the apex court, challenging the in-house inquiry and demanding a formal police investigation. However, the top court had then dismissed the plea as prematur

'Overwhelmed, Justice Gavai will uphold SC values': CJI Sanjiv Khanna

Overwhelmed by the rich accolades on his last day at the Supreme Court, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Tuesday said he was certain his successor CJI-designate Justice B R Gavai would uphold values of the Supreme Court, fundamental rights and the basic constitutional doctrines. The ceremonial bench comprised the outgoing CJI, Justice Gavai, and Justice Sanjay Kumar, showcasing a rare moment of reflection, celebration, and reverence, not just for Justice Khanna's contributions, but the legacy of his uncle, former Supreme Court judge Justice H R Khanna, he took forward. The CJI called Justice Gavai his "biggest support" while expressing confidence in the latter's leadership and commitment to constitutional values. "What to say about justice and CJI designate B R Gavai, we got elevated the same year. Here we are in the collegium, and thereafter, we have interacted on several occasions. And I must say, he has been my biggest support. And I am sure that you have in Justice Gavai

Supreme Court seeks Centre's reply on special courts for swift trials

Saying it was imperative on the Centre and states to establish courts for the speedy trial of cases under special laws, the Supreme Court has sought their stand in two weeks. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh was acting on the bail plea of a Naxal sympathiser from Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. He was booked after 15 policemen of a quick response team were killed in a blast in the state. "Additional solicitor general of India has referred to the affidavit filed by respondent 2 - National Investigation Agency. We are, however, of the view that when trials are to take place under special laws, it is imperative on the Union or States to establish specialised courts with adequate infrastructure for ensuring speedy trial, for achieving the legislative object of the statute," the bench said in its order of May 9. ASG Rajkumar Bhaskar Thakre was, therefore, granted two weeks to obtain instructions on the matter as the bench posted the hearing on May 23. The top court asked t

SC puts assets, appointment process of judges in public for transparency

In a bid to enhance transparency, the Supreme Court on Monday said it has uploaded statements of assets of judges on its website, in accordance with a full-court decision to place the relevant details in the public domain. "The full court of the Supreme Court of India has on April 1, 2025 decided that the statements of assets of the judges of this court shall be placed in the public domain by uploading the same on the website of this court. Statements of assets of judges already received are being uploaded. Statements of assets of other judges will be uploaded as and when the current statement of assets is received," a release issued by the court said. The top court has also placed the complete process of appointments to the high courts and the Supreme Court, including the role assigned to the High Court Collegium, the role of and inputs received from the state governments, Union of India and consideration by the Supreme Court Collegium, on its website for the knowledge and awareness

Mediation more holistic than court trials in resolving disputes: CJI

Observing that mediation is not a "lesser form of justice" but it's "wiser form", Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Saturday said mediation offers a more holistic solution to disputes as compared to courtroom adjudication. Speaking at the National Conference on Exploring the Efficacy and Reach of Mediation, Khanna said that in courtroom adjudication, one party emerges the winner and the other the loser leading to relations becoming strained. The CJI said mediation, on the other hand, can heal relations and the solutions offered by it are less traumatic and more humane. "Court litigation and adjudication are, in a way, grim and shallow. At times, the root cause remains unaddressed and the ailment and bane remain. The relationships are strained, if not broken. There is a winner, there is a loser," he said. "Mediation does the opposite. It seeks to identify and remedy the root cause. It goes deeper into the issue, the cause of the misunderstanding. It addresses the primordial an

Stronger judicial data grid can boost investments, says CII report

The NJDG was launched in 2015 under the e-Courts Mission Mode Project to track, manage and reduce case pendency across India's judicial system

Kerala's Pala Bar Association makes history with all-women executive panel

In a historic move, the Pala Bar Association in Kerala has elected an all-women executive panel, setting a new precedent for gender-inclusive leadership in the legal profession

'We are not worried', says Justice Surya Kant on attacks against judiciary

Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant's remarks come in the wake of a recent ruling by the apex court that set a timeline for the President and Governors to act on bills, which triggered political backlash

Delhi court extends judicial custody of Naresh Balyan, others in MCOCA case

On March 1, the Court had granted 60 more days to the Delhi police to complete the investigation against Naresh Balyan

Flawed justice: Poor training weakens an already under-resourced system

To be sure, ticking boxes on pre-determined metrics does not fully reflect the reality of the justice-delivery system as experienced by its people

Order in the (content) court: Legality of legal influencers in focus

Nearly all the experts unanimously agree that law students should not be allowed to dish out legal advice under any circumstances

Southern states lead ranking on justice system, Karnataka retains top slot

Andhra Pradesh rises to second place from fifth last year; Telangana keeps third position: India Justice Report 2025

Less than 1,000 women in senior police roles: India Justice Report 2025

India's police force has less than 1,000 women in senior positions like Director-Generals and Superintendents of Police, with 90 per cent of all women in policing serving in the constabulary, according to a new report. The India Justice Report (IJR) 2025, initiated by Tata Trusts and supported by several civil society organisations and data partners, tracked the performance of states across four areas Police, Judiciary, Prisons and Legal Aid. According to the report, despite growing awareness about the need for gender diversity in law enforcement, not a single state or Union Territory has met its target for women's representation in the police force. The IJR 2025, released on Tuesday, ranked Karnataka as the top-performing state among the 18 large and mid-sized states in terms of justice delivery, maintaining its position from 2022. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu followed Karnataka, with the five southern states outperforming others due to better diversity, ...

SC sets aside HC order against Tehseen, says courts not moral police

Observing that courts are not supposed to do moral policing, the Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court imposing a fine of Rs 10 lakh on political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla for mocking Jain monk Tarun Sagar. A bench of Justices Abhay S Okay and Ujjal Bhuyan quashed the 2019 order of the high court which had directed Poonawala and music composer and singer Vishal Dadlani to pay costs. The top court said the high court was swayed by the fact that the appellant criticised a priest belonging to a particular religion. "What kind of order is this? There was no question of imposing cost. The court acquitted the appellants but imposed cost. Courts are not supposed to do moral policing," the bench said. Poonawala had moved the top court against the high court judgement. The high court had asked Dadlani and Poonawalla to pay Rs 10 lakh each to get the FIR against them quashed. The high court had also said that the fine was imposed to give a messag

Cash-at-home row: Justice Yashwant Varma takes oath as Allahabad HC judge

This development comes amidst an ongoing investigation into allegations of semi-burnt sacks of cash being recovered from his residence just weeks ago