My Lord, 1997 Amendment to Section 28 of The Indian Contract Act, 1872 – Retrospective? No. “What emerges on a reading of the Law Commission Report together with the Statement of Objects and Reasons for the Amendment is that the Amendment does not purport to be either declaratory or clarificatory. It seeks to bring about […]
Read more "Section 28 of The Indian Contract Act, 1872"“The expression ‘legal proceeding’ has been the subject matter of consideration in the Federal Court decision in Governor-General in Council v. Shiromani Sugar Mills Ltd., AIR 1946 FC 16. In that decision Section 171 of The Indian Companies Act, 1913 came up for consideration. “When a winding-up order has been made or a Provisional Liquidator […]
Read more "Legal Proceeding"Throughout the history of the use of the term in Latin, ‘prima facie’ meant only the most cursory, initial impression. It retained that meaning upon its adoption into colloquial English. The term ‘prima facie’ is used in the law both as an adjective and as an adverb. Common Law Courts which developed the judicial meaning […]
Read more "Prima Facie"“The principle of ‘ex debito justitiae’ has been elaborately dealt with in the concurring Judgment of Umesh C. Banerjee J in Rupa Ashok Hurra, (2002) 4 SCC 388, Paragraph 69. The principle is founded on a recognition of a debt that justice delivery system owes to a litigant to correct an error in a judicial […]
Read more "Ex Debito Justitiae I"Manoj Kumar Sharma, serving in the Indian Air Force at the relevant time, got married to one Nandini on 27.04.1999. On 20.09.1999, Nandini Sharma committed suicide at her matrimonial home. Ambala Police closed the case after fulfilling the requirements of Section 174 of The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 holding, there was no foul play […]
Read more "First Information Report I"“We think it profitable to examine the scheme of Order 6, Rule 16: “16. Striking out pleadings – Court may at any stage of the proceedings order to be struck out or amended any matter in any pleading – (a) which may be unnecessary, scandalous, frivolous or vexatious, or (b) which may tend to prejudice, […]
Read more "Order 6, Rule 16 of The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908"Every criminal trial is a voyage of discovery in which truth is the quest. It is the duty of a Presiding Judge to explore every avenue open to him in order to discover the truth and to advance the cause of justice. Presiding Judge must cease to be a spectator and a mere recording machine. […]
Read more "Section 311 of The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 I"The party issuing a tender (employer) ‘has the right to punctiliously and rigidly’ enforce the terms of the tender. Here is a wholesome principle that the Courts have been following for a very long time and which was articulated in Nazir Ahmad v. King Emperor, (1979) 3 SCC 489: “Where a power is given to […]
Read more "Tender Law II"The ‘statutory period of waiting’ has been waived again in Wadhera v. Wadhera, [Transfer Petition (Civil) No. 569 of 2014]. SC held, “having regard to the background of the several litigations between the parties over a period of 5 years, background of the parties living separately for more than 5 years, submission of the Husband […]
Read more "Section 13B of The Hindu Marriage Act II"Enviro Legal Action v. Union of India, (2011) 8 SCC 161 elaborated scope of Article 137. Kamlesh Verma v. Mayawati, (2013) 8 SCC 320 further held as under: (A) Review Maintainability: Discovery of new and important matter or evidence which, after the exercise of due diligence, was not within knowledge or could not be produced; […]
Read more "The Nature of Judicial Power: Powers of Review of Supreme Court I"“Since the inception of mankind, many lacs have suffered from different types of physical handicaps (today about 600 million people suffer from such handicaps). But, many of them overcame all kinds of handicaps and achieved distinctions in various fields. Sarah Bernhardt – French actress was disabled by a knee injury. Her leg was amputated in […]
Read more "Able Disable All People Together I"“Under Article 19(6) of The Constitution, the State has to conform to two separate and independent tests if it is to pass constitutional muster – the restriction on the fundamental right must first be a reasonable restriction, and secondly, it should also be in the interest of the general public. Perhaps the best exposition of […]
Read more "Reasonable Restriction I"Any attempt at interpretation of a long line of cases proves to be tiresome. Modern Dental College and Research Centre v. State of Madhya Pradesh, [Civil Appeal No. 4060 of 2009], delivered on 02.05.2016, provides a brave summary. Accept it with abundant caution. 5 Judges have no jurisdiction to interpret 7 or 11 erstwhile Lords. The […]
Read more "Look, T.M.A. Pai Again"Section 13B of The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 reads as: “Divorce by mutual consent – (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act a petition for dissolution of marriage by a decree of divorce may be presented to the District Court by both the parties to a marriage together, whether such marriage was solemnized before […]
Read more "Section 13B of The Hindu Marriage Act I"“The term ‘locus standi’ is a Latin term, the general meaning of which is ‘place of standing’. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 10th Edn., at page 834, defines the term ‘locus standi’ as the right or capacity to bring an action or to appear in a Court. The traditional view of ‘locus standi’ has been […]
Read more "Article 136 and Criminal Appeals II"It is a settled legal proposition, law of limitation may harshly affect a particular party but it has to be applied with all its rigour when the statute so prescribes. A result flowing from a statutory provision is never an evil. Court has no power to ignore that provision to relieve what it considers a […]
Read more "Dura Lex Sed Lex"There is a need to build confidence to help road accident victims. Good Samaritans fear of legal consequences, involvement in litigation and repeated visits to Police Station. There is a need to provide certain incentives to Good Samaritans. There is also a dire need to enact a Good Samaritan Law. Ministry of Road Transport and […]
Read more "A Good Samaritan Law"Several statutes confer power on authorities and officers to be exercised by them at their discretion and they are couched in permissive language, such as, “it may be lawful”, “it may be permissible”, “it may be open to do”, et cetera. But in certain situations, such power is coupled with duty and must be exercised. […]
Read more "Power Coupled With Duty II"History will not forget Hon’ble Justice Pratibha Rani at the crossroad of Kanhaiya Kumar v. State of NCT of Delhi, Writ Petition (Crl.) 558 of 2016. “While dealing with the Bail Application of the Petitioner it has to be kept in mind, by all concerned, they are enjoying this freedom only because our borders are […]
Read more "The Country Without a Post Office"My Lord, What is the meaning of the expression “specific provision to the contrary” in Section 4(1) of The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908? The scheme of Section 4(1), as its marginal note provides, is to ‘save’ any special or local law from the applicability of The Code of Civil Procedure. The said Section therefore […]
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