Author: Adarsh Shukla

The Supreme Court extended the interim protection from arrest given to activist Teesta Setalvad in connection with a lawsuit filed against her for disparaging the Gujarat government for its handling of the Gujarat riots in 2002. The extension was given on Wednesday till July 19. [State of Gujarat v. Teesta Atul Setalvad] The Gujarat government was contacted over the subject by a special bench of Justices BR Gavai, AS Bopanna, and Dipankar Datta, who also posted the case for final disposition on July 19—the next hearing date. Together with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju informed the…

Dismissing a petition as frivolous, the top court of the country rejected a Public Interest Litigation and also imposed a fine of Rs.25,000 on the petitioner. The bench consisted of the Chief Justice of India Dhananjay Yashwant Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha. What was the petition? An advocate had filed a plea in the top court seeking a gradual phasing out of reservation as it exists today and replacing it with an alternate form of affirmative action. Another plea filed by the same petitioner seeking “reclassification” of the caste system was also rejected. What did the top court say? The…

The top court of the country on Monday refused to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) where litigants were seeking the court to order the creation of a National Commission for Men. The purpose of this new commission, as per the submissions, would have been to look into suicides and domestic violence cases among married men. This decision was given by a bench composed of Justices Dipankar Dutta and Surya Kant. What did the PIL petition say? The petition had requested the court to direct the central government to create a National Commission for Men. It may be noted that…

The Supreme Court of India – the apex court of the country – is set to resume on Monday, July 3 after a six-week long summer break that started on May 22. Some major developments are to be seen when the court reopens. Some of these are as follows: Appointment of Five New Judges to the Apex Court As many as five justices will likely be appointed to the Supreme Court this year as many judges reach superannuation. The current strength of the court has fallen due to thirty one due to the two retirements happening during the summer break…

According to a recent ruling by the Calcutta High Court, courts should generally refrain from impleading or adding a party to a lawsuit where the plaintiff objects to doing so. This is so that a plaintiff cannot be forced to attack someone, according to Justice Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee. What is the background of the case? The petitioner initially applied to the civil court for his inclusion as a defendant in the lawsuit under Order 1 Rule 10(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), which deals with the impeachment of third persons, to defend his purported rights in the aforementioned…

The Supreme Court of India is all set to introduce new roster management measures when it opens on July 3 this year after the summer vacation. What are the new measures? A new scientific system of case allocation is being introduced at the court. The roster system will now work keeping in mind the domain expertise of the sitting judges of the court. Civil, criminal and service cases constitute the largest number of cases filed in the court. As such a larger number of judges have been assigned to the disposal of these cases. Multiple judge benches will hear criminal…

What is the matter at hand? The Supreme Court has been approached by the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights which has emphasized the need to address the problem of children being attacked by rabid stray dogs. It has urged the euthanasia of these dangerous canines. The child rights organization has filed an interlocutory application demanding severe consequences for individuals who thoughtlessly desert these dogs. Why has the Commission filed such a report? The commission has received numerous complaints about the distressing situation of children who have been fatally bitten by stray dogs and the menace they cause.…

Beginning July 12, the Supreme Court of India will begin hearing four cases for which a new constitutional bench has been formed. The newly formed bench will comprise Justices Hrishikesh Roy, PS Narasimha, Pankaj Mithal and Manoj Misra and will be led by the Chief Justice of India Dhananjay Yashwant Chandrachud. The following cases are listed to be heard by this bench: Tej Prakash Pathak and Ors. Vs. Rajasthan High Court and ors This case deals with the question if the rules of appointment can be changed after the selection process has started. This case was earlier brought before a…

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) recently fined a hospital Rs 1.5 crore after it came to light that a semen mix-up had occurred on account of the hospital’s negligence. It was found that this mix-up had led to a child being born through artificial insemination from the gametes of another man. The action was taken after the aggrieved couple filed a case in the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. Background of the case The couple that appealed to the NCDCR had approached the Bhatia Global Hospital and Endosurgery Institute, New Delhi in 2008 for having a child through…

The Supreme Court of India on Friday put a stay on an order passed by the High Court of Orissa. The order was in relation to a minor girl child whose custody the High Court had directed be restored to her father. What is the history of the case? The father of the twelve-year-old minor child had filed the writ of habeas corpus in the High Court of Orissa. As per the writ, he was requesting the court to issue directions to restore the girl child’s custody to him. He had alleged that his sister, niece and niece’s husband had…