Here is a rundown of some of the legal news from India from 13 June 2023 to 14 July 2023:
– The Supreme Court got two more judges as the President notified the appointments of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and SV Bhatti, who were earlier the Chief Justices of Telangana and Kerala High Courts respectively. The Supreme Court collegium had recommended their elevation last week.
– The Supreme Court also struck down the tenure extension of ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra but upheld the amendment to CVC Act that allowed such extensions. The court held that the amendment was valid but its application to Mishra was arbitrary and violative of Article 14.
– The Supreme Court formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe a land scam in Gurugram, where a prime plot was ‘sold’ through a fake general power of attorney (GPA). The court questioned the role of the sub-registrar’s office and directed the SIT to submit a report within six months.
– The Supreme Court warned against disrupting the legal aid work during strikes and closed the contempt of court case against Bar Association of India for obstructing the work of legal aid defence counsel during a strike in 2018. The court accepted the undertaking given by the Bar Association that it will not obstruct the work of legal aid defence counsel in future.
– The Supreme Court pulled up the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for relying on an expert committee report without giving an opportunity to the party to object. The court said that such reliance was contrary to the principles of natural justice and remitted the matter back to NGT for fresh consideration.
– The Calcutta High Court slammed the State Election Commission (SEC) and the State government for their ‘non-cooperation’ with the Central government to avert violence during the panchayat elections. The court said that it was a serious issue if the State could not control violence and made it clear that the outcome of the elections was subject to its ultimate orders.
– The Delhi High Court closed the contempt of court case against journalist S Gurumurthy for his tweets about Justice S Muralidhar, who had granted interim protection to former Finance Minister P Chidambaram in 2018. The court accepted Gurumurthy’s apology and expression of remorse.
– The Bombay High Court rejected the plea of NCP leader Nawab Malik for temporary medical bail in a money laundering case. The court said that Malik had not made out any case for medical bail and that he could avail medical facilities in jail or hospital as per jail manual.
– The Kerala High Court directed the State government to sensitize executive magistrates dealing with inquests into suspicious deaths. The court said that such magistrates should conduct proper inquiries and record statements of witnesses as per law.
– The Gujarat High Court closed the contempt of court case against Senior Advocate Percy Kavina, who had allegedly made derogatory remarks against Justice MR Shah in 2017. The court noted that Kavina had tendered an unconditional apology and expressed regret.
These are some of the highlights of legal news from India in the past month.
