Page 123 - Supreme Court

People get so fed up with judicial process, they just want settlement: CJI

People get "so fed up" with the matters of courts that they just want a settlement, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said on Saturday while highlighting the role of Lok Adalats as alternative dispute redressal mechanisms. Lok Adalats are forums where disputes and cases pending in courts or at pre-litigation stage are settled or compromised amicably. No appeal against the mutually accepted settlement can be filed. "Log itna trast ho jate hain court ke mamlon se wo koi bhi settlement chahte hain...Bas court se dur kara dijiye (People are so fed up with the matters of the court that they just want a settlement). This process is the punishment and that is a cause of concern for all of us as judges," Chandrachud said at the commemoration of the special Lok Adalat week at the Supreme Court. The CJI said he got tremendous support and cooperation from everyone including the Bar and the Bench in setting up of Lok Adalat at every stage. Chandrachud said when the panels for the Lok Adal

CJI urged to set up green benches in HCs for disposal of environment cases

A lawyer on Saturday wrote to Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud urging him to constitute dedicated and permanent "green benches" in all high courts for speedy and effective adjudication of environment related matters. Advocate and environment activist Akash Vashishtha said the country is witnessing never-before climate disasters and experiencing increasing massive ecological assaults. He said though the National Green Tribunal has evolved as an effective and efficacious forum for the settlement of disputes, the inherent limitations of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, have been major hurdles for the citizens in seeking environmental justice. "As against a remedy under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, a remedy under Article 226 of the Constitution of India before a High Court is an all-encompassing recourse, enabling citizens, as victims, to seek compensation for the environmental wrongs committed in rem as well as in personam," the letter sent to the CJI said. The lawyer sai

Courts have bolstered country's reputation for arbitration: Justice Kohli

The courts in the country have bolstered India's reputation as a favourable destination for arbitration by upholding the sanctity of arbitral awards, Supreme Court judge Justice Hima Kohli has said. She was speaking at a seminar -- 'Recent Developments in Arbitration to Promote Business' -- organised by law firms Gibson Dunn Secretariat and UNUM Law, along with the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC) and General Counsels' Association of India on Friday. Justice Kohli said the growth of international trade made dispute resolution more complex and to address the challenges, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), especially arbitration, had emerged as a powerful tool for businesses. "In recent years, India has made significant strides in establishing itself as a reliable partner in arbitration and mediation services. India's transformation into a commercial arbitration hub has been driven by the judiciary's unstinting commitment to fast-tracking matters under the ...

Only Centre can validate facts related to it, says Ashwini Vaishnaw

The Centre is best suited to determine whether a particular fact related to it is correct or wrong, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday while making the government's stand clear on the PIB's Fact Check Unit. He was replying to a supplementary query during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha related to the Supreme Court's stay on the Centre's notification on setting up a fact-checking unit. "The amendment in the IT Intermediary Rules which has been stayed by the Supreme Court, that is still under contest but the fundamental principle is, our point is, anything related to the government of India, only the government can say whether it is a correct fact or a wrong fact. That is our stand," Vaishnaw, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, said. The Supreme Court in March this year stayed the Centre's notification on setting up a fact-checking unit under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to identify fake news about the Union government. The Fact Check Unit was ...

SC rejects pleas for court-monitored SIT probe into electoral bonds scheme

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a batch of pleas seeking a court-monitored investigation into the electoral bonds scheme while observing that it cannot order a roving inquiry. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala said it would be "premature" and "inappropriate" to order a probe under a retired judge when the remedies available under the ordinary law governing criminal law procedure have not been invoked. The top court said it cannot order a roving inquiry into purchase of electoral bonds on the assumption of a quid pro quo for award of contract. "The court entertained petitions challenging electoral bonds since there was an aspect of judicial review. But the cases involving criminal wrongdoing should not be under Article 32 when there are remedies available under the law," the bench said. Article 32 empowers a citizen to approach the Supreme Court directly for enforcement of their fundamental rights recognised by the Constitution. The apex

SC says no major breach in NEET-UG, raises concerns over NTA's exam conduct

Asks Centre's high-level committee to review NTA's ops and recommend reforms

Govt forwards parliamentary panel's report to SC, HCs on judges' vacation

The government has forwarded recommendations of a parliamentary committee on staggered vacation for judges to the secretary general of the Supreme Court and registrars general of 25 high court for "appropriate consideration". In a written reply in Lok Sabha on Friday, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the standing committee on law and personnel had referred to the suggestion of former chief justice of India R M Lodha that instead of all judges going on vacations, all at one time, individual judges should take their leave at different times of the year so that the courts are constantly open and they are always present to hear cases. The committee was of the opinion that Justice Lodha's suggestion on court vacations should be considered by the Judiciary. "Accordingly, the recommendation of the Rajya Sabha DRPSC (department-related standing committee) in respect of the aforementioned subject was forwarded by the government to the Secretary General, Supreme Court and all Registrars

RJD, CPI(ML) demand inclusion of 65% reservation quota in Constitution

Reservation quota: Holding placards, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members of RJD, CPI(ML) raised slogans against the BJP and JD(U) outside the Parliament on Thursday

SC observation on NEET-UG vindicates govt, truth always wins: Pradhan

The Supreme Court's observation on no systemic breach of sanctity in the 2024 NEET-UG exam has vindicated the government's stand, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday. Hitting out at the opposition over its criticism of the national medical entrance exam amid allegations of irregularities, including question paper leak, the minister on X said, "The cloud of lies may hide the sun of truth for some time, but truth always wins" and added that findings and the verdict "outrightly rejects the propaganda that was being peddled". The top court on Friday said it did not cancel the controversy-ridden NEET-UG 2024 examination amid concerns of paper leak because there was no systemic breach of its sanctity. In its detailed reasons for the order which was pronounced on July 23, a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said the National Testing Agency (NTA) must stop its flip-flop which was noticed this year as it does not serve the

NEET-UG 2024 row: SC rules out 'systemic breach' in exam, says leak limited

The NEET or National Entrance cum Eligibility Test conducted on May 5 this year, triggered a huge uproar after aspirants alleged that the exam was likely compromised due to suspected paper leaks

States can make sub-classifications in Scheduled Castes quota: SC

The verdict came on references to revisit the five-judge constitution bench judgement of 2004 in the case of EV Chinnaiah versus State of Andhra Pradesh

Supreme Court: States can make sub-classification of SCs for quota

The Supreme Court on August 1 overruled a 2004 judgement, and stated that Scheduled Castes are not a homogenous group and governments can sub-classify for quotas.

Decoded: What's 'creamy layer' proposed by SC Judges for SC/ST quotas

While upholding that states have the authority to further subdivide groups within reserved categories, 4 out of the 7 judge bench advocated for exclusion of the 'creamy layer' among SC/STs

Can SC and ST quotas be sub-classified? With a 6-1 majority, SC says yes

The Supreme Court Bench ruled 6:1 in favour of allowing states to further classify SC/STs based on their backwardness to tailor reservation benefits, overturning a 2004 verdict

Venezuela President Maduro asks SC to audit elections, draws criticism

Venezuela's President Nicols Maduro said he asked the country's Supreme Court to conduct an audit of the presidential election after opposition leaders disputed his claim of victory, drawing swift condemnation by independent observers. Maduro told reporters Wednesday that the ruling party is also ready to show the totality of the vote tally sheets from Sunday's election. I throw myself before justice, he said to reporters outside the Supreme Court's headquarters in Caracas, adding that he is willing to be summoned, questioned, investigated. This is Maduro's first concession to demands for more transparency about the election. However, the Supreme Court is closely aligned with his government; federal officials propose the court's justices and they are ratified by the National Assembly, which is dominated by Maduro sympathisers. The Carter Centre criticised Maduro's audit request, saying the court wouldn't provide an independent review. You have another government institution which

Can states tax mining activities retrospectively? SC reserves verdict

Meanwhile, Advocate General of Odisha Pritambar Acharya appeared in a dilemma when the court asked him whether the judgment should apply retrospectively or not

Refund of mineral royalties could cost Rs 70k-80k crore: Centre to SC

On July 25, a nine-judge constitution bench ruled that the power to tax mineral rights lies with the states and that royalty paid on minerals is not a tax.

In big relief to law graduates, SC caps advocate enrolment fee at Rs 700

The Supreme Court has said that the current enrolment fee structure charged by the state bar councils is unreasonable as it causes excessive financial burdens on young law graduates

SC asks Uttarakhand govt to decide on suspension of 14 Patanjali products

Licences for 14 Ayurvedic products by Patanjali and Divya Pharmacy were suspended by the Uttarakhand government. However, on July 1, the state government revoked its suspension order

SC suggests creation of centralised dashboard for misleading ads complaints

Asks Ministry of Consumer Affairs explain why complaints on its portal is 'abysmally low'