Binding Precedent

Umabai v. Nilkanth Dhondiba Chavan, (2005) 6 SCC 243 and Tulsi v. Chandrika Prasad, (2006) 8 SCC 322 were not brought to notice of this Court in Vanchalabai Raghunath Ithape v. Shankarrao Baburao Bhilare, (2013) 7 SCC 173. In absence of consideration, we find Vanchalabai Raghunath Ithape will not lay down a binding precedent. – […]

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Monstrosity of Winnability II

The nation continues to wait, and is losing patience. A political party can always give a reason, a candidate with criminal antecedents is found to be more suitable than a person who does not have criminal antecedents. If the political party is of the prima facie opinion, a candidate has been falsely implicated, it can […]

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Expunging Observations

State of U.P. v. Mohammad Naim, AIR 1964 SC 703 [Also, Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in A.N. Perera v. D.L.H. Perera, 1982 SCC SL SC 20]; Alok Kumar Roy v. Dr. S.N. Sarma, (1968) 1 SCR 813; A.M. Mathur v. Pramod Kumar Gupta, (1990) 2 SCC 533; Abani Kanta Ray v. State of Orissa, […]

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Seniority in Promotion / The Revival of Ray LXVIII

The principle of equality is applicable to employment at all stages and in all respects, namely, initial recruitment, promotion, retirement, payment of pension and gratuity. _____ The seniority­-cum-­merit principle is well established in service jurisprudence and does not need much discussion. Three-Judge Bench in B.V. Sivaiah v. K. Addanki Babu, (1998) 6 SCC 720 observed: […]

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Referred to Larger Bench XII Answered: Doctrine of Relation Back in Admissions

The view, only relief which can be granted would be compensation only [Chandigarh Administration v. Jasmine Kaur, (2014) 10 SCC 521], is not good law and cannot be accepted. – Hon’ble Justice M.R. Shah [Three-Judge Bench], S. Krishna Sradha v. State of Andhra Pradesh, AIR 2020 SC 47. _____ The proposition of law which emerges […]

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Promissory Estoppel VII

The New Okhla Industrial Development Authority is constituted under provisions of The U.P. Industrial Area Development Act, 1976. Regulation 25 of The New Okhla Industrial Development Authority Service Regulations, 1981 states, age of superannuation of employees. Any enhancement of age of superannuation would require an amendment of Service Regulations necessitating prior approval of State Government. […]

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The Revival of Ray LXVII

State of J&K v. Triloki Nath Khosa, (1974) 1 SCC 19 explained, a classification for the purpose of Article 14 based on any criteria (as the present minimum age criteria undoubtedly is), must be based on a distinct characteristic, having a rational nexus with the object of the norm, or the law. Similarly, Mohd. Shujat […]

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Be Kind Rewind, Strict Liability

“The Strict Liability Rule under Common Law is a relic of the past and should not be given effect in the Indian context.” – Justice Mohan M. Shantanagoudar, Taj Mahal Hotel v. United India Insurance Co. Ltd., (2020) 2 SCC 224. _____ There is certainly a phantom thread concerning the Rule of Strict Liability and […]

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Retrospective Validating Statute

A competent Legislature can always validate a law which has been declared by Courts to be invalid, provided the infirmities and vitiating factors noticed in the declaratory Judgment are removed or cured. Such a validating law can also be made retrospective. All that Legislature does is to usher in a valid law with retrospective effect […]

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Dialogic Jurisdiction II

COVID-19 engulfed this country in March, 2020 and continues till date changing its face from time to time. Different mutations in the virus have made it dangerous and fatal at times. To provide food security to impoverished persons is the bounden duty of all States and Governments. Those migrant workers who possess a ration card […]

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Wooing and Marriage

Devdutt Pattanaik, Marriage – 100 Stories, (Rupa, 2021) has stories on – I. Origin, II. Singledom, III. Wooing, IV. Fidelity, V. Multiplicity, VI. Children, VII. Property, VIII. Barriers, IX. Heartbreak and X. Coupledom. Agastya Finds a Source of Income Rishi Agastya had to repay his debt to Ancestors and so went to King of Vidarbha […]

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Façade of ‘Commercial Decision’

Senior Advocate, Sanjoy Ghose argued for Captain Arvind Kumar Sharma, Captain K Sai Sashanka, Captain Jeetender Yadav, Captain Jitender Singh Randhawa, Captain Adish M. Chavan, Captain Reuben James, Captain B Sujimon, Captain Vishal V Chandorkar and Captain Vijay Kumar Dahiya before Hon’ble Justice Jyoti Singh of Hon’ble High Court of Delhi. The common thread was […]

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Dialogic Jurisdiction I

Policy-making continues to be in sole domain of Executive. Judiciary does not possess authority or competence to assume role of Executive, which is democratically accountable for its actions and has access to resources which are instrumental to policy formulation. However, this ‘separation of powers’ does not result in Courts lacking jurisdiction in conducting a judicial […]

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Gradual Implementation

The theme of ‘gradual implementation’ of law or legal principles, was also spoken about in Javed v. State of Haryana, (2003) 8 SCC 369 which held, there is no constitutional imperative that a law or policy should be implemented all at once: “when the policies have far-reaching implications and are dynamic in nature, their implementation […]

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Exaggeration

There is no bar on High Court’s power to re­appreciate evidence against acquittal [Sangappa v. State of Karnataka, (2010) 3 SCC 686]. Cambridge Dictionary defines ‘exaggeration’ as “fact of making something larger, more important, better or worse than it really is.” Concise Oxford Dictionary defines it as “enlarged or altered beyond normal proportions.” These expressions […]

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Repugnancy I

Repugnancy can be looked at from three distinct perspectives. The first is where provision of a State enactment is directly in conflict with a law enacted by Parliament. Compliance with one is impossible along with obedience to the other. The second is where regulation of subject matter by Parliament is so complete as a code, […]

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Permissible School Fees

Constitution Bench in T.M.A. Pai Foundation, (2002) 8 SCC 481 has expounded, private unaided school management must have absolute autonomy to determine school fees. The consistent view has been restated and enunciated by Constitution Bench in Modern Dental College and Research Centre, (2016) 7 SCC 353 in Paragraph 75. Though fee can be fixed by […]

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