Page 3 - Indian Judiciary

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

Progress is not only judgment but ease of justice: MP HC chief justice

Progress is not measured by laws and judgments alone, but by the ease with which people can seek and receive justice, Chief Justice SK Kait of the Madhya Pradesh High Court said. The chief justice made the statement while virtually inaugurating new family court buildings in Jhabua and Balaghat districts at a function. He also inaugurated housing facilities for judicial officers in Budhar (Shahdol), Rajendragram (Anuppur), Shajapur district, Kolaras (Shivpuri) and a child-friendly courtroom in Manawar (Dhar district). CJ Kait said progress is measured not just by laws and judgments but by the ease with which citizens can seek and receive justice. He said the new family court buildings in Jhabua and Balaghat will provide a well-structured space for handling family disputes. The buildings have courtrooms, filing sections, counselling rooms, a creche and other essential facilities, he said. The chief justice said the child-friendly courtroom at Manawar in Dhar district is designed to

Lawyers to abstain from Justice Sharma's swearing-in, may skip his court

Expressing anguish at the transfer of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma from the Delhi High Court to the Calcutta High Court, lawyers' bodies here have jointly informed the Chief Justice that they would abstain from attending the swearing-in ceremony of the judge and may not appear before his court. Justice Sharma was transferred from Delhi to the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday. The Bar Association, the Bar Library Club and the Incorporated Law Society also urged the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court in a joint representation not to assign any judicial work to Justice Sharma, whose transfer was notified by the Union government on a recommendation by the Collegium of the Supreme Court. "In the event, any determination is assigned to the Learned Judge, there is a possibility that our members may not appear before the Learned Judge," they said in the representation. Lawyers stayed away from attending proceedings at the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday to protest the recommendation for

Former HC judge Nirmal Yadav acquitted in 2008 cash-at-judge's door case

A special CBI court here on Saturday acquitted former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice (Retd) Nirmal Yadav and four others in the 2008 cash-at-judge's door case. In the sensational case, a packet containing Rs 15 lakh was allegedly wrongly delivered at the residence of Justice Nirmaljit Kaur, another sitting high court judge, on August 13, 2008. It was alleged that the cash was meant for Justice Nirmal Yadav as a bribe to influence a property deal. The Court of Special CBI Judge Alka Malik pronounced the verdict on Saturday. Defence counsel Vishal Garg said the court acquitted former Justice Nirmal Yadav and four others. There were a total five accused in the case, one of whom died during the trial. The court on Thursday had heard the final arguments in the case registered against Justice Yadav by the Central Bureau of Investigation and posted the pronouncement of verdict for March 29.

SC refuses urgent hearing on plea seeking FIR over cash at HC judge's home

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused an urgent mentioning of a plea seeking a direction to Delhi Police to lodge an FIR over the alleged discovery of semi-burnt stash of cash from the official residence of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma. A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna was urged by lawyer Mathews J Nedumpara that the plea be listed for urgent hearing before a bench as it pertained to larger public interest. The CJI, who has stopped the practice of oral mentioning of cases for urgent listing, said that the plea would come up. The lawyer said that the apex court has done a "commendable job" but an FIR was needed. "Don't make public statements," the CJI said. A woman and co-petitioner in the matter said that if such a case was against a common citizen then several probe agencies, like CBI and ED, would have been after that person. "This is quite enough. The plea will come up accordingly," the CJI said. A plea was filed by Nedumpara and three others on Sunday