Politics

Observing that the ensuing elections to the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is more glorified for use of money power, communal power, political power, muscle power and liquor power, the Madras High Court has set out directions for the Bar Council of India, the police and the Income Tax Department to ensure fake lawyers or those indulging in corruption to win elections can be weeded out while directing that only those lawyers who have 10 reported judgments, five contested judgments in each year in the previous five years can contest elections and those holding posts of profit are barred.The court also quashed the January 4 resolution of the BCI vide which it had deferred taking any decision on the amended eligibility rules prepared by the special committee for those desirous of contesting polls of the State Bar Council.Here are the directions issued by the bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice R Tharani: Directions to the Bar Council of India:The Bar Council of India … [Read more...] about Expressing Concern On Use Of Money, Muscle, Communal, Political, Liquor Power Ahead Of Bar Council Elections, Madras HC Sets Directions For All, Including IT Dept

The Kerala High Court made scathing observations against political parties for instigating hartals, while upholding the payment of compensation of Rs. 7 lakhs to a driver who lost his eye in stone- pelting by an agitating mob owing allegiance to a political party which called for a hartal. The impugned order had treated the incident as a constitutional tort, holding the State and the perpetrators responsible for the incident. The State had now challenged the direction to pay 25% of the compensation amount.The Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Antony Dominic and Justice Dama Seshadri Naidu, however, dismissed the Appeal, observing, “As to the State’s liability, indeed, it goes without saying that the State ought to, as a matter of primary responsibility, protect lives of citizens. And its failure to reign in those political parties that take public to ransom amounts to culpable omission in its sovereign function- protecting the citizens.”It also clarified that the … [Read more...] about State’s Failure To Control Political Parties That Instigate Hartals Is A Culpable Omission Of Its Sovereign Function: Kerala HC [Read Judgment]

Can acts of individuals in visiting a foreign country on an Indian passport and then applying in that country for asylum, can be construed as “prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India” result in justifiable refusal of passport to such individual under Section 6 (1) (a) of the Passport Act, 1967?The Delhi High Court has answered the question in negative while determining the meaning of the phrase “prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of the country”.A bench of Justice S Ravindra Bhat and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva has held, “… sovereignty and integrity of the country are robust concepts that can withstand the actions of isolated individuals who may seek political asylum; their mere action in so seeking asylum- without more, by way of action tending to undermine the sovereignty, through actions that can result in disorder or violence- cannot be a ground for refusing passport to them.”The division bench went on to note that, … [Read more...] about Mere Act Of Seeking Political Asylum No Ground For Denying Passport, Not Prejudicial To Sovereignty And Integrity Of India: Delhi HC [Read Judgment]