Page 15 - Law

US Supreme Court rejects X Corp's surveillance disclosure challenge

The revised policy, announced in 2014, allowed companies to disclose in broad ranges rather than in exact figures how often they received of national security-related demands for information

This is what justice feels like: Bilkis Bano after SC verdict on remission

This is what justice feels like, Bilkis Bano said after the Supreme Court on Monday quashed the remission granted to 11 men convicted of raping her and murdering seven members of her family during the 2002 riots in Gujarat. While quashing the Gujarat government's decision to grant remission, the apex court also said the state government's order was "stereotyped" and passed without application of mind. In a statement issued through her lawyer Shobha Gupta, Bano thanked the top court for the verdict and said "today is truly the New Year for me". "I have wept tears of relief. I have smiled for the first time in over a year and half. I have hugged my children. It feels like a stone the size of a mountain has been lifted from my chest, and I can breathe again," Bano said. "This is what justice feels like. I thank the honourable Supreme Court of India for giving me, my children and women everywhere this vindication and hope in the promise of equal justice for all," Bano said. Accusing t

Bilkis case: SC verdict showed who gives patronage to criminals, says Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Monday slammed the BJP over the Supreme Court quashing the Gujarat government's decision to grant remission to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, saying the verdict has shown once again who the "protector of criminals" is. Earlier in the day, the apex court said the Gujarat government abused its power in grating the remission to the men convicted of gang-raping Bilkis Bano and murdering seven of her family members during the 2002 riots, and ordered that they be sent back to jail within two weeks. The Gujarat government's remission order was without application of mind, a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said and asked whether "heinous crimes against women permit remission" whatever faith she may follow or creed she may belong to. In a post in Hindi on 'X', Gandhi said, "The tendency to 'murder justice' for electoral gains is dangerous for a democratic system. Today, the Supreme Court's decision once again showed the country who gives .

Bilkis Bano case: SC to deliver verdict on convicts' remission on Monday

The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce on Monday its verdict on the petitions challenging the remission granted to 11 convicts in the case of gangrape of Bilkis Bano and murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan had on October 12 last year reserved its verdict after an 11-day hearing on the petitions, including the one filed by Bano. While reserving the judgement, the apex court had directed the Centre and the Gujarat government to submit by October 16 the original records related to the remission of sentence of the 11 convicts. While hearing the matter in September last year, the top court had asked whether convicts have a fundamental right to seek remission. During the earlier arguments, the apex court had observed that state governments should not be selective in granting remission to convicts and the opportunity to reform and reintegrate with society should extend to every prisoner. Besides the

Optimising tech strategic move towards democratising access to justice: CJI

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said on Saturday that optimising tech within the judiciary is not just about modernisation but also a strategic move towards democratising access to justice, and underlined the need to train lawyers to use technology. Leveraging these advancements will help bridge gaps, enhance efficiency, and ensure that justice delivery is not impeded by geographical and technological barriers, he said while addressing a gathering at the inauguration of a new district court building here. Highlighting the importance of district courts, Justice Chandrachud said they hold a crucial position for the realisation of the right to justice and are a cornerstone of the ideals of our Constitution in envisioning a society where every citizen is assured that right to justice. Talking about the new court building in Rajkot, he called the inclusion of a conference room and a training room, equipped with the latest audio-video devices and systems, a forward-looking ...

NIA attaches 4 properties of Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate members in 3 states

The properties were attached in a coordinated swoop by the NIA teams in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967

E-commerce platforms can't become haven for counterfeiters: Delhi HC

An e-commerce platform cannot become a haven for infringers of intellectual property and have such a system which provides an avenue to counterfeiters, the Delhi High Court has said. The court observed that e-commerce websites are commercial ventures and are inherently profit oriented, which is not objectionable, but they have to protect intellectual property rights of others. "An e-commerce platform cannot become a haven for infringers. Men are not angels. Where easy money is visible, the conscience at times takes a nap," said Justice C Hari Shankar in a recent order. "E-commerce websites are commercial ventures, and are inherently profit oriented. There is, of course, nothing objectionable in this; but, while ensuring their highest returns, such websites have also to sedulously protect intellectual property rights of others. They cannot, with a view to further their financial gains, put in place a protocol by which infringers and counterfeiters are provided an avenue to infringe a

Court to rule Friday on making ASI survey report on Gyanvapi mosque public

A Varanasi court would decide Friday whether to open the sealed ASI survey report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex and provide copies to the Hindu and Muslim sides. The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) had on Wednesday urged the court not to make its report public for at least four more weeks, according to the lawyer for the Hindu side, Madan Mohan Yadav. Varanasi district court judge A K Vishvesh then adjourned the matter till Thursday. However, on Thursday, he could not take up the matter as he was engaged at an event, his office said and added that the matter was then posted for Friday.

Case involving Indians in Qatar: Legal team has 60 days to appeal, says MEA

The legal team of eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel was given 60 days to appeal against the ruling by Qatar's court of appeal, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. Last month, the Court of Appeal in Qatar commuted the death sentence handed down to the Indians and sentenced them to prison for varying durations. The verdict came weeks after the family members of the Indians filed an appeal against the earlier order by another court. The Navy veterans were on October 26 given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance. Sixty days' time has been given to file an appeal against the order at Qatar's highest court, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing.

Court extends Senthil Balaji's remand till Jan 11 in money laundering case

A sessions court here on Thursday extended Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji's remand till January 11. The DMK leader, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on June 14, 2023 in a money laundering case, is presently lodged at the Puzhal prison here. Principal Sessions Judge S Alli, before whom Balaji was produced by the prosecution through video-conferencing from the prison, extended his judicial custody. Balaji was arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was the Transport Minister during an earlier AIADMK regime. Soon after his arrest, he underwent a bypass surgery at a private hospital. Later, the ED took him into custody for interrogation and following that he was remanded in judicial custody. His remand was periodically extended by the court.

Courts must refrain from summoning govt officials as first resort: SC

Courts must refrain from summoning government officials as "first resort" as asking them frequently to appear without a just cause is not permissible, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday and framed standard operating procedure for courts across the country to follow while seeking their presence. Constantly summoning officials of the government instead of relying on the law officers representing the government runs contrary to the scheme envisaged by the Constitution, it said. "The appearance of government officials before courts must not be reduced to a routine measure in cases where the government is a party and can only be resorted to in limited circumstances. The use of the power to summon the presence of government officials must not be used as a tool to pressurize the government, particularly, under the threat of contempt," a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said. The verdict came on an appeal of the Uttar Pradesh ...

Harvard Prez Claudine Gay resigns amid backlash over antisemitism testimony

Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned on Tuesday amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school's conduct policy. Gay announced her departure, which came just months into her tenure, in a letter to the Harvard community. She and the presidents of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania came under fire last month for their lawyerly answers to a line of questioning from New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who asked whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate the colleges' code of conduct. The three presidents had been called before the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce to answer accusations that universities were failing to protect Jewish students amid rising fears of antisemitism worldwide and fallout from Israel's intensifying war in Gaza, which faces heightened criticism for the mounting ...

Gunman arrested after shooting into Colorado SC that ruled against Trump

A man leaving the scene of a car wreck on Tuesday shot his way into the Colorado Supreme Court building and inflicted extensive damage to the building before being arrested by police, authorities said, adding the incident seems unrelated to the court's recent ruling banning former President Donald Trump from the ballot. Colorado's justices have received threats ever since they ruled 4-3 last month that a rarely-used constitutional provision barring from office those who engaged in insurrection applies to Trump. Authorities, however, said Tuesday's incident appears unrelated to that case. Trump is expected to appeal that ruling to the US Supreme Court later Tuesday. The CSP and DPD are treating this incident seriously, but at this time, it is believed that this is not associated with previous threats to the Colorado Supreme Court Justices, the Colorado State Patrol said in a statement said, using the acronyms for the state patrol and Denver Police Department. The car wreck occurred .

Govt assures discussion on new law, urges drivers to end protest: AIMTC

Truckers' body All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) on Tuesday said the government has assured that new laws concerning hit-and-run cases will be implemented after discussion with its members and urged truck drivers to call off their strike. A government source said that the issue has been resolved after the meeting with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Tuesday evening. "The issue has been resolved," the source said, while stressing that the new provisions under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) have not been implemented yet. AIMTC representatives met Union Home Secretary in the evening to discuss the new law on hit-and-run cases that proposes stringent up to 10 years jail term and Rs 7 lakh fine. The meeting was held against the background of some truck, bus and tanker operators beginning a three-day strike on Monday against the stringent jail and fine regulations under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for hit-and-run cases. The punishment in such cases was 2 years in the

Adani Group-Hindenburg row: SC will pronounce judgement on January 3

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra reserved its verdict on the order on various aspects related to the Hindenburg report in November 2023

Truckers call off strike in Maha's Nashik after assurance from officials

Truck drivers protesting against a provision in the new penal law on hit-and-run road accidents, called off their strike in Nashik district of Maharashtra on Tuesday after the local authorities assured to look into their demands. The agitation by truck drivers, which was launched in several states in the country on Monday, continued on the second day, leading to non-delivery of petroleum products at depots and people rushing to petrol pumps amid the fear of fuel shortage. In Maharashtra, the truck drivers have been staging protests at various places, including capital Mumbai, Nagpur, Solapur, Dharashiv, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, Nagpur, Beed, Hingoli, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Gadchiroli and Wardha. In Nashik, the fuel transporters started the agitation at Panewadi near Manmad on Monday. More than 1,000 trucks and tankers were parked in Panewadi area as part of the nationwide protest. Panewadi village near Manmad town in Nandgaon taluka of the district has fuel depots of ...

Israel says it will counter genocide allegations at international court

Israel says it will defend itself against genocide accusations filed by South Africa with the world court. Eylon Levy, an official in the Israeli prime minister's office, on Tuesday accused South Africa of giving political and legal cover to Hamas' October 7 attack that triggered Israel's war against the militant group. The state of Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice at the Hague to dispel South Africa's absurd blood libel, Levy said. South Africa launched the case Friday at the U.N.'s top court, accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and asking the court to order Israel to halt its attacks. Israel dismisses international cases against it as unfair and biased and rarely cooperates. The Israeli response signals the government is taking the case seriously.

Ayodhya case judges unanimously decided to keep verdict anonymous: CJI

More than four years after the historic Ayodhya verdict of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Monday said the five-judges, who ruled in favour of construction of a Ram temple by a trust at the disputed site, had unanimously decided there will be no authorship ascribed to the judgement. On November 9, 2019, settling a fractious issue that went back more than a century, a five-judge bench headed by the then CJI Ranjan Gogoi had paved the way for construction of the temple and ruled that an alternative five-acre plot will be found for a mosque in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh. In an exclusive interview with PTI, CJI Chandrachud, who was part of the constitution bench, candidly spoke on the issue of anonymity and said, when the judges sat together, as they do before a pronouncement, it was unanimously decided that this will be a "judgement of the court". He was replying to the query as to why the name of the author judge was not made public. "When the five-jud

Not appropriate to respond to criticism on my judgement: CJI on Article 370

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Monday refused to respond to criticism of the unanimous five-judge bench verdict of the Supreme Court upholding scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution, saying the judges decide a case "according to the Constitution and the law". In an exclusive interview to PTI, the CJI said the judges speak their mind through their judgement which becomes public property after the pronouncement and people in a free society can always make their opinion about it. "So far as we are concerned we decide according to the Constitution and the law. I don't think it will be appropriate for me either to respond to the criticism or mount a defence to my judgement. What we have said in my judgement is reflected in the reason present in the signed judgement and I must leave it at that," Justice Chandrachud said. The response came to a query seeking his views on recent criticism by some jurists, including a former judge, on the Article 370 verdict, which upheld the

Govt issues draft rules to make railways accessible for differently abled

The government has released draft guidelines on accessibility of railway stations, facilities there and in trains for people with disabilities, highlighting the need for integrating technology-enabled features such as text-to-speech and user-friendly pictograms. The Department of the People with Disabilities (PwDs) has asked stakeholders and the public to give their comments, objections and suggestions by January 29 on the proposed guidelines to create a more user-friendly environment. The proposed guidelines also highlight the need for dedicated website features catering to "divyangjans", ensuring a flexible and accessible interface design. These features will follow universal design principles and World Wide Web Consortium guidelines, integrating technology-enabled accessibility features such as text-to-speech and user-friendly pictograms, the draft guidelines state. The draft includes the development of a dedicated mobile app and a one-click template for people with disabilities