The Writ of Quo Warranto I

“Writ of Quo Warranto cannot be issued on basis of assumptions, inferences or suspicion regarding factum of fulfillment of eligibility criteria. Being an extraordinary power, ordinarily such a Writ ought to be issued only on basis of indisputable facts leading to a singular conclusion – incumbent was in fact or in law disqualified to occupy […]

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The Last Word on Aiyaary

Last year, it was claimed before Bombay High Court, trailers of The State v. Jolly LL.B 2 projected Indian Judiciary and Indian Legal System in a derogatory manner. Court found there was a prima facie case of contempt. It constituted a Three-Member Committee, out of which Two Members were Lawyers. Bom HC’s ‘Legitimization of Special […]

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The Harmon Doctrine

The Doctrine of Absolute Territorial Sovereignty is most often identified with an opinion prepared in 1895 by the 41st Attorney General of the United States, Judson Harmon, in response to a request by the Department of State for advice concerning a dispute with Mexico over the use of waters of the Rio Grande. Pursuant to […]

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Section 50 of The Arbitration Act II

My Lord, Appeal – Not Maintainable under Section 50 of The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 – Maintainable under Section 13(1) of The Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Act, 2015? No. “Both The Commercial Courts Act as well as the detailed Arbitration Amendment Act of 2015, were brought into […]

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The Last Word on Padmaavat

Witnessing Padmaavat unfold on screen, on its first day of release, was unique, especially since your smart phone kept reminding you of persistent violence. The casual viewer may have even ignored a woman threatening to immolate herself or even a policemen who stood guard, but the skeptic whispered if a riot broke out… on which […]

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Section 7(5) of The Arbitration Act II

Supreme Court considered the ‘incorporation by reference’ issue in M.R. Engineers and Contractors Private Limited v. Som Datt Builders Limited, (2009) 7 SCC 696 (2 Judges). An important proposition in M.R. Engineers was a distinction Court made between “standard form contracts” and other contracts. Relying on observations in Russel on Arbitration, (23rd Edition, 2007) Court held, an Arbitration […]

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Section 499, Indian Penal Code IV

The Fourth Chapter is intriguingly titled ‘Bloodless Murder: Defamation‘. Senior Advocate Pinky Anand and her daughter Gauri Goburdhun have stood by Sections 499 & 500, IPC in Trials of Truth: India’s Landmark Criminal Cases, (Shobhaa Dé Books, Penguin, 2017). Here is brief excerpt from pp. 61 to pp. 79: “The origin of defamation can be traced […]

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A Legally Enforceable Debt III

Advocate represented its Client before a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal and charged a fee of Rs. 10,00,000 [Rupees Ten Lakhs]. Tribunal awarded compensation. Client was compelled to sign a further cheque, in favour of Advocate, towards payment of a certain percentage of decretal amount. That cheque stood dishonoured and Advocate in due time initiated proceedings […]

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Section 499, Indian Penal Code III

I had earlier defended Explanation 1 to Section 499 and Subramanian Swamy v. Union of India, [Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 184 of 2014], in the wake of strong arguments that, the legal regime of defamation as set out in Sections 499 and 500 is unconstitutional. Legislature in its wisdom has still not thought it appropriate to abolish […]

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The Live Tweets Ailment II

There are always the traditionalists. They imagine Live Tweeters in Court when ADM Jabalpur was on going, and shiver at the thought. Ray CJI would have had none of it. The present Chief Justice seemingly does not subscribe to old world ideas. Juniors who have the time and the resources are travelling to SC every day […]

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Jactitation of Marriage

Jactitation of marriage means persistent boasting of a marriage, falsely alleged to have taken place. The suit prays for a decree of perpetual silence on the subject. This is the only case in which a matrimonial suit can, as of right, be proceeded without prima facie proof of a marriage de facto. For the object […]

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Kuttikanam / Seigniorage

In George Leslie v. State of Kerala, AIR 1970 Ker 21 the term ‘Kuttikanam’ was explained. It was held, ‘Kuttikanam’ is neither a fee nor a tax. A tax or fee is levied in the exercise of sovereign power. ‘Kuttikanam’ means Government’s share of the value of the reserved trees. It was further held by Mathew […]

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