Justice

Poll neutrality at risk if EC relies on contestants: Justice Nagarathna

Supreme Court judge Justice BV Nagarathna, while highlighting that the Election Commission is the primary institution entrusted with maintaining the integrity of polls, has said if those who conduct elections are dependent on those who contest them, the neutrality of the process cannot be assured. The apex court judge raised a critical concern regarding the structural independence of those tasked with overseeing the ballot while delivering the Rajendra Prasad Memorial Lecture at the Chanakya Law University in Patna on Saturday. Citing a 1995 verdict where the Supreme Court recognised the Election Commission as a constitutional authority of high significance, entrusted with ensuring the integrity of elections, she said, "The concern, once again, was structural: if those who conduct elections are dependent on those who contest them, the neutrality of the process cannot be assured." Justice Nagarathna said elections are not merely periodic events but a mechanism through which politica

Strengthening judicial infrastructure not optional but essential: CJI

State governments across the political spectrum recognise that strengthening judicial infrastructure is not optional but essential, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said on Sunday here. Addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone for Telangana High Court Zone II, which includes residential buildings for judges and the chief justice, Surya Kant said that when the judiciary and executive align in purpose, the Constitution truly comes alive. "The momentum across the country gives me great confidence. In the past few months alone, I have had the privilege of laying foundation stones for judicial court complexes in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, and now Telangana," he said. "State governments across the political spectrum recognise that strengthening judicial infrastructure is not optional, but extremely essential," he added. After viewing the conceptual drawings and models on display, the CJI said the proposed 100-acre new High Court complex wil

Ministry of Social Justice posts record ₹11,810 crore expenditure in FY26

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on Saturday said it has recorded its highest-ever expenditure of Rs 11,810.82 crore in 2025-26, nearly 14 per cent higher than the Rs 10,409 crore spent in the previous financial year. According to an official statement, the expenditure was incurred by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment under the ministry and reflects a focus on timely utilisation of funds for welfare schemes. The department has also recorded the highest-ever expenditure on welfare schemes for Scheduled Castes and Other Backwards Classes during 2025-26. Record expenditure was also reported on programmes related to drug demand reduction, welfare of sanitation workers, senior citizens, transgender persons and people engaged in begging, it said. The ministry said the expenditure highlights the government's commitment to social justice, empowerment and inclusive development of disadvantaged and vulnerable sections, the statement added.

Epstein Files: Justice Dept releases interview of woman who accused Trump

The pages had been withheld from the trove of documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein because of what officials called a mistaken determination that they were duplicates

Mistakes made: Bill Gates apologises to Foundation staff over Epstein links

Gates described spending time with Epstein and involving Gates Foundation executives in meetings with him as a "huge mistake"

US Dept of Justice releases final 3 mn pages of Epstein files

The US Justice Department has released over 3 million additional pages from its Jeffrey Epstein files under a transparency law after months of public pressure

Explained: Why Disney is paying $10 million to settle a US lawsuit

A complaint was filed against Disney Worldwide Services and Disney Entertainment Operations in a federal court in California over alleged violations of US children's privacy rules

Governors' powers to stray dogs: Supreme Court's defining calls of 2025

From constitutional limits on Governors to arbitration clarity, minority rights, environmental protection and public safety, these Supreme Court rulings shaped governance and daily life in 2025

CJI calls for unified judicial policy, tech use to align court practices

Pushing for a "unified judicial policy", Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday said technology can help align standards and practices across courts, creating a "seamless experience" for citizens, regardless of their location. He said high courts -- due to the federal structure -- have had their own practices and technological capacities, and "regional barriers" can be broken down with technology to create a more unified judicial ecosystem. Delivering the keynote address at the West Zone Regional Conference in Jaisalmer, Kant proposed the idea of a "national judicial ecosystem" and called for an overhaul of India's judicial system with the integration of technology. "Today, as technology reduces geographical barriers and enables convergence, it invites us to think of justice not as regional systems operating in parallel, but as one national ecosystem with shared standards, seamless interfaces, and coordinated goals," he said. He emphasised how the role of technology in the .

Criminal sentencing hinges on remorse, but how do we assess if it is real?

While a lack of remorse will not aggravate (increase) a sentence, a sincere expression of remorse can reduce a sentence, especially if accompanied by an early guilty plea

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," .