Page 3 - Justice

Establishment of Gram Nyayalayas will improve access to justice: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said establishment of Gram Nyayalayas across the country would help improve access to justice. An Act passed by Parliament in 2008 provided for the establishment of Gram Nyayalayas at the grassroots level for providing access to justice to the citizens at their doorsteps and to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to anyone because of social, economic or other disabilities. A bench headed by Justice B R Gavai was hearing a plea seeking a direction to the Centre and all states for taking steps to set up 'Gram Nyayalayas' under the supervision of the apex court. During the hearing, advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner NGO National Federation of Societies for Fast Justice and others, said only about five to six per cent of Gram Nyayalayas have been set up till now. "Some of the states are saying we don't need Gram Nyayalayas because we have Nyaya Panchayats," Bhushan told the bench, which also comprised Justices P

Medic rape-murder: Protesters take to streets demanding justice for victim

Slogans demanding justice for the RG Kar rape-murder victim reverberated the air at the stroke of midnight on Sunday across Kolkata and many other cities and towns in West Bengal. Protesters, both women and men, young and old took to the streets, forming human chains, writing graffiti on the roads, holding burning torches and singing the national anthem as many waved the tricolour, the only flag allowed in the apolitical rallies across the state by the civil society, to register their protest against the murder of the young doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital a month ago on August 9. With the Supreme Court scheduled to hear the suo motu case related to the crime on Monday, many participants in the third instance of 'Reclaim the night' in the state said they were confident that justice will be provided by the apex court. While some named the victim doctor 'Tilottama', many others referred to her as 'Abhaya', but all were together in their quest for justice for her. Every

Kolkata hospital rape-murder: Police detains East Bengal, Mohun Bagan football fans during protest

Police in Kolkata broke up a protest by football fans of city clubs Mohun Bagan and East Bengal as they gathered to demand justice for the victim of the RG Kar hospital rape and murder.

Technology should be means of ensuring justice to everyone: CJI Chandrachud

CJI informed that the central government has given approximately Rs 7,000 crores to all the state governments to regenerate the information infrastructure

US sues TikTok, parent company ByteDance over children privacy violations

In March, a source told Reuters the FTC could resolve a probe into TikTok over allegedly faulty privacy and data security practices by either filing suit or reaching a settlement

World Day for International Justice 2024: History, significance and more

The ICC came into effect in 1998 to prosecute individuals for grave crimes and World Day for International Justice is an initiative to support the rule of law, justice and accountability

New criminal laws must be welcomed with changed mindset: Bombay HC CJ

Bombay High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya has said it is a natural tendency to resist change, but the newly enacted criminal laws need to be welcomed and implemented with a changed mindset. He has urged those responsible for delivering justice under the new legal framework, to be implemented from Monday, to embrace their responsibilities. Speaking at an event on Sunday organised by the Ministry of Law and Justice, titled 'India's Progressive Path in the Administration of Criminal Justice System,' CJ Upadhyaya underscored the critical role of effective implementation. "It is our natural tendency to resist change or we loathe to come out of our comfort zone. It is a fear of the unknown that causes this resistance and engulfs our rationale," he said. Notably, three new criminal laws will come into effect across the country from Monday, bringing widespread changes in India's criminal justice system and ending colonial-era laws. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya

Implementation of criminal laws, adoption of AI key tasks for law ministry

Chief Justice of India, Dr. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had said here that the new Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita(BNSS) provides a holistic approach to deal with crimes in the digital age

In matters concerning liberty of citizens, every single day counts, says SC

Every single day counts in matters concerning the liberty of citizens, the Supreme Court said on Friday while asking the Delhi High Court to decide on the regular bail plea of a businessman in a corruption case related to the now scrapped Delhi excise policy. The petitioner's regular bail application has been heard by the high court on 40 occasions and now the matter has been adjourned to July 8, a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta was told by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for businessman Amandeep Singh Dhall. "This cannot be that after 40 hearings, you don't decide the regular bail," he said. The bench noted it has been informed that his regular bail plea was filed in July last year. "In matters concerning the liberty of citizens, every single day counts. Keeping the matter of regular bail pending after almost 11 months deprives the petitioner of his liberty," the bench said. "We request the high court to decide the bail application prior to the closure for .

ED can't arrest accused after special court takes cognisance: SC

The Supreme Court Thursday held that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) cannot arrest an accused under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after a special court has taken cognisance of the complaint of money laundering. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said when an accused appears before a court in pursuance of a summons, the agency will have to apply to the court concerned to get his custody. "If the accused appears before the special court by summons (issued by court), it cannot be treated that he is in custody," it said. "Accused who appeared before the court pursuant to the summons not required to apply for bail, and thus twin conditions of Section 45 of PMLA not applicable," the bench said in its judgment. The twin conditions state that when an accused in a money laundering case applies for bail, the court has to first allow the public prosecutor to be heard and only when it is satisfied that the accused is not guilty and unlikely to commi

Over 171,000 matters settled at second National Lok Adalat in Delhi

According to the official release, a total of 254,392 cases were referred to Lok Adalat

BJP against social justice, secularism enshrined in constitution: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday attacked the BJP over its MP Anantkumar Hegde's remark about amending the Constitution, alleging that the ruling party is against social justice and secularism enshrined in the Constitution. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, the Congress president said the BJP aims to get a massive mandate only for amending the Constitution. Kharge's attack came after Hegde, at a gathering in Karwar in Karnataka on Saturday, had said the BJP needed a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament to amend the Constitution and "set right the distortions and unnecessary additions made to it by the Congress". Kharge said, "I have to say sadly that Constitution has not been fully accepted by the BJP." He claimed that on one hand Prime Minister Narendra Modi states that the Constitution will not be changed and on the other hand, he makes his people say that they need two-thirds majority to amend it. This statement has been ma

Delay in listing live issues affects quality of justice: Ex-SC judge Lokur

Prolonged delay in listing of "live issues" like matters pertaining to demonetisation and abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, and predictable pronouncements affect the quality of justice and create a perception that there is "something wrong" with the judicial system, former Supreme Court judge Madan B Lokur said on Saturday. Speaking at a seminar organised by the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) here, he said the problem with listing of cases is not something new and has been there for a very long time, particularly in the Supreme Court. "But today we are talking about it because the stakes today are much higher than what they were many years ago," Justice Lokur said while addressing the seminar's first session titled 'Supreme Court Administration and Management-? Issues and Concerns'. He said matters like demonetisation, Article 370, and electoral bonds for political funding were listed in the apex court for hearing after many years. "We have h

World Day of Social Justice 2024: History, theme, importance and more

World Day of Social Justice serves as a sign of the significance of promoting social rights and equality for all, no matter what their ethnicity, race, gender, religion, or socioeconomic status

Prez Murmu suggests global collaborations to ensure 'environmental justice'

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday said the world faces the threat of climate change and suggested global collaborations to ensure "environmental justice" and deal with other cross-border legal challenges. Addressing an international conference of Commonwealth law officers here, she said the Commonwealth, with its diversity and legacy, can show the rest of the world the way to address the common concerns in a spirit of cooperation. Murmu said the preamble to the Constitution speaks of "justice, social, economic and political". "Therefore, when we speak of justice delivery, we should keep in mind all aspects of it, including social justice," she said, addressing the valedictory function of the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) -- Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference (CASGC) 2024. In recent times, as the world faces the threat of climate change, "we should also add environmental justice to these varied aspects of the concept of justice", the presiden

Kerala far ahead in ensuring justice to victims: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said the state was far ahead in fighting crime and ensuring justice to victims. The Chief Minister was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the Directorate of Prosecution and Prosecution Academy headquarters here. Vijayan stressed that it was the responsibility of a state government to ensure safety and security of the life and property of the citizens besides maintaining peace in the society. "It's a matter of pride that the prosecution system in Kerala is far better than any other state in the country. We are far ahead in fighting crime and ensuring justice to victims," Vijayan said, adding that in the criminal legal system, the prosecutors should function in a free and an unbiased manner. He noted that there are 15 POCSO courts in the state to deal with the crimes against children and 54 fast track courts functioning as per the directions of the Supreme Court. "The government has appointed special public prosecutors in

Justice, equality, secularism India's foundational pillars: Kharge on R-Day

He said that the pillars of fundamental rights, social justice, and political rights, ensured to every citizen by the Constitution are under attack

Hope to get justice in other cases: AIUDF after Bilkis Bano case verdict

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan quashed the Gujarat government's remission order by which convicts were released pre-maturely

Developing TN on social justice, equality, fraternity principles: CM Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday said he was striving hard to develop the state on the sublime principles of social justice, equality, equal nature of faiths and fraternity. He was working to build a Tamil Nadu based on these principles, the Chief Minister said after inaugurating Rs 171 crore worth completed projects and providing assistance to the tune of Rs 184 crore under the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare department here. The Dravidian model of governance is being dispensed with an aim to ensure development based on "everything to everyone," he noted. In the last three years, 12 Adi Dravidar student hostels were built at an estimated cost of Rs175 crore. Various concessions are being provided by the state government for the education development of Adi Dravidar and Tribal students, he added. Adi Dravidar Welfare Minister N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj also spoke. The Chief Minister launched welfare schemes worth Rs 149 crore, inaugurated school buildings, hostels and

Undertrial prisoners should be produced via video-conferencing : Bombay HC

The Bombay High Court has said undertrial prisoners should be produced before courts via video-conferencing (VC) whenever permissible, as bringing them physically to courts for every hearing was a cumbersome procedure. A single bench of Bharati Dangre directed the Maharashtra government to make necessary funds available to ensure that every court is provided screens and other video-conferencing facilities. The court order dated November 10 was made available on Friday. The issue was raised in a bail plea filed by one Tribhuvansing Yadav, who had claimed that his application for bail in the lower court was adjourned on 23 occasions, as he was not produced before the court physically or through video-conferencing. The bench noted that as per a report submitted by the inspector of prisons and correctional services in September, 39 prisons in Maharashtra have 329 sanctioned video-conferencing units, of which 291 were functional. The court, in its order, stated that if the facility is