“Retail outlets for sale of arrack were started by Kerala State Beverages Corporation Limited in 1995, in view of decision taken by Government of Kerala to abolish arrack shops which were hitherto run by private parties. There is no dispute that a number of abkari workers lost their livelihood due to ban on arrack in […]
Read more "The Doctrine of Legitimate Expectation IV"“At the outset, it is required to be noted and does not seem to be in dispute, since last 22 years both the Appellant-Husband and the Respondent-Wife are residing separately. It also appears, all efforts to continue the marriage have failed and there is no possibility of re-union because of the strained relations. Thus, it […]
Read more "Irretrievable Breakdown of Marriage I"“There can be no rule of law, there can be no democracy unless there is a strong, fearless and independent Judiciary. This independence and fearlessness is not only expected at the level of Superior Courts but also from District Judiciary. Most litigants only come in contact with District Judiciary. They cannot afford to come to […]
Read more "Purity of Character II"It was my request to Supreme Court that all while they let go of death in case after case, to not only explain always why those cases are not ‘rarest of rare’, but also explain whether death is a penalty or an award. In the last 11 months, I have briefly described 15 cases whereby […]
Read more "Review of Death Penalty XVI-XVII-XVIII"“It must be noted that though it may be a relevant consideration in sentencing that the evidence in a given case is circumstantial in nature, there is no bar on the award of the Death Sentence in cases based upon such evidence [Swamy Shraddananda v. State of Karnataka, (2007) 12 SCC 288; Ramesh v. State […]
Read more "Review of Death Penalty XV"The primary function of Courts is to interpret and apply laws according to will of those who made them and not to transgress into domain of policy-making. It is not for Court to pronounce policy. It cannot term a particular policy as fairer than the other. Courts must exercise restraint. “Untouchability though intended to be […]
Read more "Untouchability"Sahi Ram was driving a Tavera, RJ27-TC-0323. The vehicle was searched, during which 7 bags of poppy straw, the gross weight being 223 kilograms, were found behind the driver’s seat. Sahi Ram was convicted for offence punishable under Section 8 r/w Section 15 of The NDPS Act; sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment for 15 years […]
Read more "223 Kilograms of Poppy Straw"Kedar Nath Motani, (1960) 1 SCR 861 had an occasion to consider the question of application of the maxims ‘ex turpi causa non oritur actio‘ and ‘ex dolo malo non oritur actio‘. Three-Judge Bench, speaking through M. Hidayatullah, J (as His Lordship then was), observed thus: “The correct position in law, in our opinion, is, […]
Read more "Ex Turpi Causa Non Oritur Actio"“I am glad, Arghya Sengupta and Ritwika Sharma have decided to publish a book dealing with appointment of Judges to Supreme Court of India. From time immemorial, mankind desired to have wise and humane Judges with the wisdom to discriminate between truth and falsehood. The legends of King Solomon and Dharmaraja and the like are […]
Read more "Appointment of Justice"“It is settled law that the fundamental right under Article 30 cannot be waived. The historical reasons for enacting Article 30(1) have been set out in some detail in the Judgment of Shelat, J. and Grover, J. in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) 4 SCC 225. This was further fleshed out in the […]
Read more "The Revival of Ray XXX"Mysteries all around! Here is a mnemonic: “Great Britain resident, Mr. Noble Boris, likes ketchup, chips; black raspberry, kraft singles. Not so greedy, Mr. Boris, swims, jogs. Good relaxation settles reactive minds. Kindly greet/kiss/bless because Mr. Boris rationalizes respect.” 1 2 3 Here you Go! “Great Britain Resident, Mr. Noble Boris, Likes Ketchup, Chips; Black […]
Read more "Judges and Astrology III"The legal heirs of someone deceased, convicted under Section 138, are neither liable to pay the fine or undergo imprisonment. However, they have a right to challenge the conviction of their predecessor. Trial Court had acquitted the (now) deceased on basis of an opinion of a handwriting expert. High Court considered, the opinion was inconclusive. […]
Read more "Cheque Bounce Acquittal"“Reliance is placed on Sri Nasiruddin, (1975) 2 SCC 671. Muhammed Ashraf, AIR 2009 KER 14 took support from the dictum in Holmes v. Bradfield Rural District Council, 1949 (1) All ER 381 and also in Sri Nasiruddin, (1975) 2 SCC 671 wherein this Court adopted ‘just, reasonable and sensible’ interpretation.” – Hon’ble Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, The Authorised […]
Read more "The Revival of Ray XXIX"Shivrang Yadavrao Waghmare was appointed as a Judicial Magistrate on 01.03.1985. He was dismissed from service on 15.01.2004. The allegation was, Justice Waghmare had a ‘proximate relationship’ with a Lawyer and thus, decided favorably in favor of the Lawyer’s clients, including the Lawyer’s family when they were parties to certain proceedings. This is ‘gratification’ of […]
Read more "Purity of Character I"“The sheet anchor is the Constitution Bench Judgment in P. Vajravelu Mudaliar, (1965) 1 SCR 614 and Nagpur Improvement Trust, (1973) 1 SCC 500. In Nagpur Improvement Trust a Seven-Judge Bench of this Court examined the matter in some detail, and followed P. Vajravelu Mudaliar together with another Judgment, Balammal, (1969) 1 SCR 90. Both, […]
Read more "The Revival of Ray XXVIII"The incident occurred on 01.05.1997. Additional Sessions Judge, Ambala adjudicated with finality on 09.06.1998. High Court of Punjab and Haryana adjudicated with finality on 05.03.2008. It wasn’t ever final. Smt. Gargi [Wife] was charged with the imputation that she killed Tirloki Nath [Husband] by strangulation and hung the dead body, as if it were a […]
Read more "The Perfect Murder"It is, most often, not permissible to read words in a statute which are not there. But, where the alternative lies between either supplying by implication certain words which appear to have been accidentally omitted, or adopting a construction which deprives certain existing words of all meaning, it is permissible to supply the words. “In […]
Read more "Word Supply I / The Revival of Ray XXVII"Anant Mills Co. Ltd. v. State of Gujarat and Others, (1975) 2 SCC 175 considered challenge to validity of Section 406, The Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, 1949. The principles laid down in Anant Mills Co. Ltd. and in Seth Nand Lal, 1980 (Supp) SCC 574 have consistently been followed, for instance in (i) Vijay […]
Read more "The Revival of Ray XXVI"Hon’ble Judges R.F. Nariman and Indu Malhotra, on 13.07.2018, questioned the view of Hon’ble Judges D.M. Dharmadhikari and B.N. Srikrishna, as declared on 14.01.2005 [HUDA v. Sunita, (2005) 2 SCC 479]. The question was right. _____ It is established that a beneficial or remedial legislation needs ‘fair and liberal interpretation’ [Om Prakash, (2017) 9 SCC 724]. The definition of […]
Read more "Economic Adventures of Statutory Bodies"“The territories forming part of Goa, Daman and Diu were part of the kingdom of Portugal. They were annexed by the Government of India by conquest on 20.12.1961 and became a part of India by virtue of Article 1(3)(c) of the Constitution. The President of India, exercising powers vested in him under Article 123(1) of […]
Read more "Civil Code in Goa"
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