Setting a timeline for appointment of judges will help fill vacancies faster.
April 29, 2021Some recent amendments have introduced provisions for plea bargaining, compromise and summary procedures for trials, so that disputes could be resolved quickly to the satisfaction of both parties. Yet, many judges revel in continuing with legalese and archaic procedures that make lawyers indispensable even for petty cases and result in disputes dragging on for years
March 17, 2021The Supreme Court must enlarge the ambit of its direction to fast-track cases against elected representatives to include bureaucrats, say NARENDER HOODA and SEEMA SINDHU.
December 18, 2020The decision to commute the life sentence of the accused in the Jessica Lal case highlights the need for urgent reforms in the criminal justice system, says G L VERMA.
July 3, 2020A recent order of the apex court does bring distinct relief to an elderly, ailing litigant who was being harassed by regular adjournments of her case in a lower court pertaining to a property dispute. But did the bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur do enough to set a desired example? Imposing a fine …
Continue reading "Partial penalty"
June 28, 2018To the layman it might appear amusing that even as the judiciary uses every opportunity to express its own authority, a Bench of the Supreme Court should desire parliamentary action to curb one of the legal system’s most thorny issues ~ the huge fees demanded by top lawyers. A reality check would, however, confirm that …
Continue reading "A ‘cap’ for gowns?"
December 6, 2017Even in these iconoclastic times, the Indian judiciary, especially the High Courts and the Supreme Court, command respect and credibility which has been further enhanced by their judgements in the Right to Privacy, Triple Talaq and Ram Rahim cases. The public remembers with gratitude the numerous occasions when the courts stood up for the common …
Continue reading "State of our judiciary"
October 12, 2017A law ministry document says most of the 24 high courts want control over the subordinate judiciary.
August 6, 2017The unpleasant stand-off between the judiciary and the executive has surfaced once more. It begins with the Supreme Court collegium clearing names of Chief Justices and judges of High Courts. Headed by Jagdish Singh Khehar, the collegium is moving forward with its recommendations without waiting for the final resolution of the new memorandum of procedure …
Continue reading "Perils of a tethered judiciary"
May 3, 2017