Justice

Chief Justice Gavai bids farewell to SC after four decades in judiciary

Overwhelmed by rich tributes on his last working day, Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai on Friday said he was leaving the institution "with a full sense of satisfaction and contentment" and as a "student of justice" on concluding four decades of journey as a lawyer and a judge. In another farewell function held by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in the evening, the 52nd CJI recalled the ire that he faced from his own community for one of his judgments in which it was held that the creamy layers among the Scheduled Castes (SCs) can also be denied the reservation benefits in admissions and jobs. "Being an ardent student of the Constitution, the virtues of equality, justice, liberty and fraternity were always close to my heart," he said. The CJI, who would demit office on November 23, a Sunday, justified his recent landmark verdict quashing key provisions of the 2021 Tribunals Reforms law saying independence of the judiciary is the basic structure of the ...

Justice on hold for 50,000 kids as juvenile system strains: Report

A new India Justice Report says over 50,000 children in conflict with the law await case outcomes, with half pending before understaffed Juvenile Justice Boards, exposing major systemic gaps

Ease of justice must for all, language of law should be local: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asserted that ease of justice is a must to ensure ease of living and ease of doing business, and called for simplification of legal language so that it is understood by those seeking justice. "Social justice can be ensured only when justice reaches everyone irrespective of their social or financial background," the prime minister said at an inaugural session of the National Conference on Strengthening Legal Aid Delivery Mechanisms. Justice must be available to everyone and ease of justice is a must to ensure ease of living and ease of doing business, he said. Prime Minister Modi noted that the government has taken several steps to improve the "ease of justice" in recent years and will further accelerate this process. "The language of law should be one that is understood by those seeking justice. When people understand law in their own language, it leads to better compliance and fewer lawsuits," he said. Judgements and legal documents should

Justice not privilege of few but right of every citizen, says CJI Gavai

Justice is not a privilege of the few but a right of every citizen, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai said on Saturday, while emphasising that it is the duty of judges and lawyers to ensure that the light of justice reaches even the last person standing at the margins of society. Addressing the inaugural function of a national conference on strengthening legal aid delivery mechanisms at the Supreme Court premises, Gavai said the true reward of the legal services movement does not lie in statistics or annual reports, but in the quiet gratitude and renewed faith of citizens who once felt invisible. "Justice is not a privilege of the few but a right of every citizen, and that our role, as judges, lawyers, and officers of the court, is to ensure that the light of justice reaches even the last person standing at the margins of society," Gavai said. The CJI noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence reaffirms the shared responsibility of the legislature, the executive, and the ...

From judgments to cats, ex-CJI Chandrachud shares snippets of his life

"In the district judiciary, women are outnumbering men. The challenge is ensuring these women rise. We can't just say We want more women judges. We must build a pipeline," he says

EC announces phase two of SIR, Cyclone Montha landfall, Justice Surya Kant to become next CJI & more

The Election Commission on Monday announced phase two of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in 12 states, starting Tuesday. These include Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Puducherry,

Trump seeks $230 mn from Department of Justice over earlier investigations

The matter is unusual in American history, given that a sitting president is demanding money from the same government he leads, for probes that were conducted against him earlier

Justice in India: Cost, language, and distance keep millions unheard

Justice in India remains unequal as cost, language, and distance exclude millions - but reforms in legal aid, technology, and regional languages can make the system more inclusive

Justice delayed: Fast-track special courts still aren't fast enough

Many existing courts struggle with severe staffing shortages, procedural inefficiencies, and inadequate infrastructure

Lawyers must reorientate their identity as facilitators of justice: Ex-CJI

Former Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has said lawyers should reorientate their identity as "facilitators of justice before everything", and also stressed that ethics should be prioritised. There is no shortcut for success, and the students of law should be lifelong learners and independent thinkers, he said addressing law students here on Saturday during the Vishnupant Advant lecture series on the topic 'The Present and Future of Law Business: Opportunities and Challenges'. The former CJI asked students to keep upgrading themselves. "There is a need for lawyers to reorientate their identity as facilitators of justice before everything. The students should be lifelong learners. Guidance should be taken but the thinking should remain independent," he said. "The ethics should be at the topmost and there should be sympathy for the deprived in our minds. If the new generation takes efforts to learn and deliver honest service, there are huge opportunities in the field of law," .

PM Modi brought Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita to ensure justice: Meghwal

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Sunday said that while the Britishers introduced the Indian Penal Code to "punish" Indians, Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita with the aim of delivering justice to the people. Speaking at the inauguration of the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) at Delhi Assembly, Meghwal said, "I am told that the three new criminal laws have been fully implemented in Delhi. "The Britishers brought the Indian Penal Code to punish Indians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita to give justice to Indians." NeVA is a flagship project of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs designed to create a paperless legislative environment across India. Talking about the implementation of NeVA, the minister said there were talks about it being implemented earlier also. "I don't know what the previous government thought but it was not implemented," he said. Speaking on the occasion, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gup

Justice Desai submits report to Karnataka govt in MUDA scam probe

Retired High Court judge Justice Desai, who investigated the alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority, submitted a report to the Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh on Thursday. The Karnataka government has constituted a one-man Commission headed by retired High Court judge Justice P N Desai on July 14 to inquire into the alleged MUDA site allocation scam. The details of the report have not yet been made public. Allegations of a scam gathered steam after the BJP alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi was one of the beneficiaries of alternative sites (plots) allotted in lieu of land given to Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Siddaramaiah categorically rejected the allegation and claimed that MUDA illegally took over the four-acres of land belonging to his wife and formed a layout without her permission. The CM said MUDA compensated them by providing them with 14 alternative plots in Mysuru upmarket.

Balasore student death: Failed system can take life, says Patnaik

Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday said the death of the college student who set herself ablaze following alleged sexual harassment by a professor was due to "failure of the system". Expressing his grief over the death of the college student, Patnaik in a long social media post said: "It is even more disturbing to think how a failed system can take someone's life. The most painful part is that this was not an accident, but rather the result of a system that remained silent instead of helping. Struggling for justice, the girl ultimately closed her eyes." With great courage, Patnaik said the student had written to the college principal, informing them about the sexual harassment she had faced. "Even after being ignored by the college authorities, she did not give up. To seek justice, she reached out to the Higher Education minister, the Chief Minister's office, and even a Union minister," Patnaik said. The former chief minister said the brave student als

BCI missteps on new rules for opening the market to foreign lawyers

BCI's new rules take immediate effect, with no prior notice, consultation, or transition-raising urgent concerns amid India-US trade talks

SC urges Centre to set up permanent bodies for timely consumer redressal

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to consider setting up a permanent forum for consumer disputes and file a report within three months, stressing the need for permanent staff

Bar Council of India urges SCBA to organise farewell for Justice Trivedi

Although Justice Trivedi is retiring on June 9, she had her last day on May 16, as she is going to the US to attend a family function

Trump's sanctions on ICC prosecutor disrupt tribunal's functioning

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has lost access to his email, and his bank accounts have been frozen. The Hague-based court's American staffers have been told that if they travel to the US they risk arrest. Some non-governmental organisations have stopped working with the ICC and the leaders of one won't even reply to emails from court officials. Those are just some of the hurdles facing court staff since US President Donald Trump in February slapped sanctions on its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, according to interviews with current and former ICC officials, international lawyers and human rights advocates. The sanctions will prevent victims from getting access to justice, said Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch. Trump sanctioned the court after a panel of International Criminal Court (ICC) judges in November issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant. Judges

Constitution is supreme, not Parliament or judiciary: CJI-designate Gavai

Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, who is set to become the first Buddhist Chief Justice of India on May 14, on Sunday said no to any post-retirement assignment and put to rest the debate on whether Parliament or judiciary is superior by asserting the Constitution is supreme. In an informal chat with journalists at his residence here, Justice Gavai said that the top court judges were shocked to hear about the Pahalgam terror attack and referred to the full court meeting convened by him as CJI Sanjiv Khanna was away. When the country is in crisis, the Supreme Court cannot remain aloof. We are also part of the nation, he said while touching upon issues ranging from pendency of cases to vacancies in courts, judges meeting commoners including politicians and the statements against the judiciary. Responding to queries about statements of politicians and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar that Parliament is supreme, he said, The Constitution is supreme. This has been held in the 13-judge benc

Court's power to modify arbitral awards: A cure worse than the disease

Arbitration users worry over poor-quality awards and prolonged litigation; some propose allowing courts to modify awards, but this raises concerns over finality and judicial overreach

Best of BS Opinion: Why India needs wide-ranging regulatory reforms

Today's opinions track regulatory practices and reforms that are required across key sectors of the Indian policy-scape.