Top Court Judgments

SC panel meets farmer leader Dallewal amid hunger strike, seeks medical aid

After the Punjab government informed the Supreme Court about a scheduled meeting with septuagenarian farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a SC-appointed panel met him at around 3.30 pm on Monday. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh was informed by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Punjab government, that the protesting farmers had been persuaded to meet Justice (retd) Nawab Singh, who chairs the apex court-appointed committee. "Some of us have been able to persuade those people under protest to meet Justice (retd) Nawab Singh led committee today at 3 pm. We are hopeful that there will be a breakthrough. Kindly take it up after a couple of days," Sibal said. On hearing this, the bench said, "Let us hope and pray that better sense prevails on everyone." The apex court asked Sibal to prepare a brief note of the deliberations and posted the hearing on January 10. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, said the committee would file a brief

No jail time: Judge sets Trump's sentencing in hush money case for Jan 10

In an extraordinary turn, a judge Friday set President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing in his hush money case for January 10 little over a week before he's due to return to the White House but indicated he wouldn't be jailed. The development nevertheless leaves Trump on course to be the first president to take office convicted of felony crimes. Judge Juan M Merchan, who presided over Trump's trial, signalled in a written decision that he'd sentence the former and future president to what's known as a conditional discharge, in which a case gets dismissed if a defendant avoids rearrest. Merchan rejected Trump's push to dismiss the verdict and throw out the case on presidential immunity grounds and because of his impending return to the White House. The judge said he found no legal impediment to sentencing Trump and that it was incumbent on him to sentence Trump prior to his swearing in on January 20. Only by bringing finality to this matter will the interests of justice be served,

Delhi Court denies application for disposal of bail plea of Engineer Rashid

Both Rashid's counsel and the NIA had agreed to keep the matter in the current court. In addition to the NIA's case, the special judge had suggested moving a related money laundering case

Anti-Sikh riots: SC directs Centre to file fresh status report on trials

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to file a fresh status report within two weeks on the status of trials in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih asked additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati to file an affidavit and permitted the petitioners in the case to file detailed objections. During the hearing, Bhati said recommendations of the special investigation team, set up by the top court, were carried out. A counsel appearing for one of the petitioners submitted there were some glaring instances in the SIT report and said 500 cases were clubbed in one FIR and the investigating officer could not probe them. "There were many instances where 498 cases were clubbed in one FIR and IO had to investigate all of them. Initially when the hearing began, the court felt that it should be confined to Delhi only. But we have done nothing about other states. We have given examples of Kanpur, Bokaro, etc., nothing has happene

Judges should avoid social media, refrain from commenting on rulings: SC

Observing that judges have to live a hermit life and work like a horse, the Supreme Court on Thursday said they should refrain from using social media and should not express any opinion about judgments. The oral remarks were made by a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh which was hearing a matter pertaining to the termination of two woman judicial officers by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The top court remarked that there is no place for flamboyance in judiciary. "Judicial officers should not go to Facebook. They should not comment on judgments because tomorrow if the judgment is cited, judge has already expressed one way or the other. "It is an open platform...You have to live life a hermit, work like a horse. So much sacrifice judicial officers have to do. They should not go into Facebook at all," the bench said in an oral observation. Senior advocate R Basant, appearing for one of the terminated woman judge, echoed the views of the bench and said no judicial

SC criticises HC orders fixing time limits for trial while denying bail

Deprecating the orders passed by the high courts fixing a time-bound schedule for conclusion of trial while rejecting bail applications, the Supreme Court has said such directions were difficult to implement and give a false hope to the litigants. The apex court said such directions adversely affect the functioning of the trial courts as in many trial courts, there may be pending older cases of the same category. "Before we part with this order, every day we notice that in several orders passed by different high courts while rejecting the bail applications, in a routine manner, the high courts are fixing a time-bound schedule for the conclusion of the trials," said a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih. The top court passed the order while granting bail to a man, who has been incarcerated for two and a half years in a case of alleged counterfeit currency notes. While granting him the relief, the bench noted that trial was not likely to conclude in a reasonable

NYC Mayor gets trial date as lawyers fight to get bribery charge tossed

New York City Mayor Eric Adams returned to court Friday, sitting stoically as his lawyers fought to eliminate a key charge in the federal corruption indictment that threatens his political future. The Democrat is fighting to throw out a bribery charge, one of five counts in a case that U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho said will go to trial April 21, 2025, in the thick of Adams' promised reelection campaign. The mayor's lawyers argued at a Manhattan federal court hearing that the bribery charge doesn't meet the federal standard of a crime and is insufficiently specific, particularly after recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions redefined how it is prosecuted. The prosecutor for the United States had trouble defining what the quo' is here, Adams' lawyer John Bash argued, referring to the concept of a quid pro quo, a Latin phrase that essentially means something for something. Prosecutors countered that Adams' lawyers were splitting hairs because, they allege, Adams was taking bribes and ..

Not another bite at cherry but only to prevent miscarriage of injustice

The curative petition was crafted by the apex court in 2002 in the landmark judgment of Rupa Ashok Hurra vs Ashok Hurra

Vote-for-bribe cases: SC says no immunity from prosecution to MPs, MLAs

The seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said that parliamentary privileges do not protect bribery

From Article 370 to demonetisation, key judgements delivered in 2023

Year ender 2023: From Jammu and Kashmir's special status to same-sex marriage refusal, here are key rulings of 2023

S K Mishra to continue as Enforcement Directorate chief till Sept 15: SC

The order comes after the government had filed an appeal for an extension of the deadline till October 15

SC reserves judgment on pleas seeking sanction for same sex marriage

It stressed that the legislature has the wherewithal to regulate the fallout and the court will not be able to foresee, envisage, comprehend, and thereafter deal with the fallout of that declaration

SC seeks Centre's response on a plea challenging release of Anand Mohan

From taking note of resolution passed by Rajasthan's district bar association to expressing concern about violence-hit Manipur, here's a look at important court cases heard today

GM mustard approval after long, exhaustive process: Centre to SC

This comes after the court told the Centre on November 3 not to allow the planting of genetically modified (GM) mustard until the next hearing

E-Gaming Federation to challenge Tamil Nadu ordinance banning online gaming

Regarding rummy and poker as games of chance violates Supreme Court and Madras High Court judgments which overturned the law banning online games

5-judge SC bench to hear from Sept 13 pleas on 10% quota to EWS candidates

Constitution amendment in 2019 allows people from Economically Weaker Sections to avail themselves of reservation in jobs and educational institutions

Delhi High court restrains rogue websites from streaming Asia Cup 2022

Asia Cup is set to begin on Friday, August 27 with the first match to be played between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka

Chief Justice N V Ramana leaves behind a 6.1% increase in pending cases

Analysis of appointment orders shows that during his 16-month term, Justice Ramana made 241 appointments to the high courts, against the 243 appointments made by Justice Bobde in his 18 months as CJI

Legislation or court guidelines? Who will put freebies in a box?

Experts dwell on whether or not there can be a legal definition of the term 'freebies'

Delhi HC gives the green light to restaurants to levy service charges

It comes just days after, on Tuesday, HC had asked the restaurants why they could not increase the salaries of their staff instead of levying a service charge