“It may not always be safe for a Writ Court to decide issues and facts having great impact on general public or a large part of it only on basis of Oath against Oath.” – Hon’ble Justice Dipak Misra, Riju Prasad Sharma v. State of Assam, [Civil Appeal Nos. 3276-3278 of 2013]. ‘Oath against Oath’ […]
Read more "Oath Against Oath"My Lord, What is Truth? “‘Satyameva Jayate’ is a mantra from the ancient scripture Mundaka Upanishad. It was adopted as the National Motto of India. It is inscribed in Devanagari script at the base of the National Emblem. The meaning is as follows: truth alone triumphs; not falsehood. Through truth the divine path is spread […]
Read more "The Importance of Being Earnest I"In Hemlata Singh v. Collector [MANU/UC/0315/2008], Hon’ble Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia [High Court of Uttarakhand] notes, “Chutzpah is a remarkable expression in Hebrew. Chutzpah is said to happen when a man kills his mother and father and then asks for clemency on the ground that he is now an orphan.” Hon’ble Justice S. Dhulia is the […]
Read more "Chutzpah"“In M/s. Motilal Padampt Sugar Mills Company, (1979) 2 SCC 409 this Court, on an exhaustive survey of the law pertaining to Doctrine of Promissory Estoppel, held, the same was equitable and would yield when equity so required. While propounding, the same had been evolved to avoid injustice where it is demonstrated that a party acting on […]
Read more "Promissory Estoppel II"“Statutes often use expressions such as “deems it necessary”, “reason to believe” et cetera. Suffice it to say, these expressions have been held not to mean, subjective satisfaction of the officer concerned. Such power given to the concerned officer is not an arbitrary power and has to be exercised in accordance with the restraints imposed […]
Read more "Reason To Believe"“The expression Flies in the Face of Common Sense is taken from an interesting Judgment of the House of Lords reported in R v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, (1995) 2 All ER 244. Lord Browne Wilkinson was faced with an argument that Section 171 of The Criminal Justice Act of 1988 vests in […]
Read more "Flies in the Face of Common Sense"Justice Chandrashekaraiah (Retd.) v. Janekere C. Krishna, (2013) 3 SCC 117 held, views expressed by Chief Justice of High Court of Karnataka have no ‘primacy’ in process of appointment of Lokayukta or Upa Lokayukta by Governor of Karnataka. High Court was of view, since Order passed by Governor of Karnataka, appointing Justice Chandrashekaraiah as an […]
Read more "Primacy of Views I: The Karnataka Lokayukta Act"“As has been stated by us above, ‘means’ ‘and includes’ is a legislative device by which the ‘includes’ part brings by way of extension various persons, categories, or things which would not otherwise have been included in the ‘means’ part. If this is so, obviously both parts cannot be read conjunctively. What is in the […]
Read more "A “Means and Includes” Definition II"It is always interesting to note References to a Larger Bench, ones especially made on account of ‘difference’ of opinions amongst Equal Bench Strengths. Eventually, it is flocculation of law of the land; per incuriam decisions stand filtered, retaining still its historical significance. Which SC Judge is known to have scripted, most number of per incuriam decisions? […]
Read more "Referred to Larger Bench II (Answered): Suits of Borrower Against Banks"There can be no quarrel about Supreme Court’s competence to quash criminal proceedings pending before Subordinate Courts. However, this power must be exercised sparingly and with circumspection. In S. Khushboo v. Kanniamal, (2010) 5 SCC 600 Supreme Court quashed several criminal proceedings initiated against actress Khushboo for comments she had made on pre-marital sex. Hon’ble […]
Read more "Market Place of Ideas"In Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation v. Rajendra Bhimrao, (2001) 10 SCC 51 a Two-Judge Bench [Babu and Raju JJ] held, “the rules of the game, meaning thereby the criteria for selection, cannot be altered by the authorities concerned in the middle or after the process of selection has commenced.” In K. Manjusree, (2008) 3 SCC 512 […]
Read more "Referred to Larger Bench I: The Rules of The Game Principle"The Battle Royale between Mr. Jaideep Gupta and Mr. Harish Salve on “Thika Tenancy Laws” now stands concluded in Mr. Gupta’s favour. Congratulations, Sir. I saw it all. In Nemai Chandra Kumar v. Mani Square Limited, 2015 (2) SCALE 657 – Respondents, led by Mr. Salve, contended, under The Calcutta Thika Tenancy Act, 1949, by […]
Read more "Thika Tenancy II"“Case to Case Basis” is a grand excuse. In Ramkanya Bai v. Bharatram, (2010) 1 SCC 85 Hon’ble Justice Tarun Chatterjee rejected the application for a DNA test to be performed on the child of the Appellant-Wife. One fact that validated that rejection was the Respondent-Husband had made the paternity of the child a ‘prestige […]
Read more "DNA Tests: The Divide Between Science and Morality"Only recently in Jacky v. Antony, (2014) 6 SCC 508 it was decided, “in no case, power under Article 226 can be exercised to question a plaint.” In Radhey Shyam v. Chabbi Nath, [Civil Appeal No. 2548 of 2009] it has been further held, “Judicial Orders of a Civil Court are not amenable to Writ […]
Read more "Bull in a China Shop"While it is correct that after the appointment of an Arbitrator is made, the remedy of the aggrieved party is not under Section 11(6) of The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 but such remedy lies elsewhere and under different provisions of the Act [Sections 12, 13], the context in which the aforesaid view is usually […]
Read more "Section 11(6) of the Arbitration Act I : Attorney General’s Submissions Rejected"En passant is a move in chess. It refers to a pawn capture. The capture is so effortless, it is imagined to be ‘in passing‘. There is a pawn that is ‘passing‘ too, literally, when it is won. Hon’ble Judges of Supreme Court of India are not averse to ‘in passing‘ orations. In Richpal Singh v. […]
Read more "En Passant I"It is rare for an Advocate to be directly appointed as a Judge of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. It is even more rare, he/she shall become a Judge in a day. I am inclined to believe, Hon’ble Justice R.F. Nariman is still an Advocate in his heart. The manner in which he quotes precedents […]
Read more "A “Means and Includes” Definition I"The omission to cite an authority of law is not a ground for review. It is Counsel’s error to have not brought to notice of Court, relevant precedents. Citing of authority, therefore, often offers problems to the Bar. There is sometimes the question of how many cases to cite. “Especially since, we have not yet […]
Read more "The Proverbial Chickens of Destiny"In 1993, when admittedly Boris Becker was not entirely focused on Tennis, a German Magazine, STERN, published an article with a picture of Boris Becker posing nude with his dark-skinned fiancée. Sports World and Anandabazar Patrika, in India, reproduced the article and the photograph. Someone in the capacity of an “experienced Advocate and an elderly person” stood his ground on […]
Read more "Boris and Barbara"In India, the true import of the phrase ‘public policy’ was, at first, put to question in relation to The Indian Contract Act, 1872. Section 23 reads as: “The consideration or object of an agreement is lawful, unless the Court regards it as immoral or opposed to public policy.” In 1959, in Gherulal Parakh v. Mahadeodas […]
Read more "Public Policy and Foreign Arbitral Awards"
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