The Supreme Court has directed all states and Union territories in India to develop a time-bound protocol for improving the functioning of open prisons, ensuring they serve as effective institutions for reformation and rehabilitation.
As the hearing started, Justice Bhat, who was on the bench with Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, expressed his inability to be part of the hearing but did not elaborate on the reason.
The Supreme Court of India has directed its registry to call for a report from IIT Kharagpur and Kota, Rajasthan, after the suicides of a student and a NEET aspirant came to light. The court is seeking to ascertain whether FIRs were registered in both cases, highlighting the disturbing pattern of student suicides in educational institutions. The court has also previously ordered the formation of a national task force to address mental health concerns and prevent suicides in higher educational institutions.
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a batch of pleas seeking to review its October 2023 verdict declining legal sanction to same-sex marriage.
The Supreme Court of India has formed a National Task Force (NTF) to address the growing concern of student suicides in higher educational institutions. The court took note of the recurring cases and directed Delhi Police to register FIRs on the complaints of families of two students who died by suicide at IIT Delhi in 2023. The NTF, chaired by former apex court judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat, will prepare a comprehensive report, including the identification of causes leading to suicides, analysis of existing regulations, and recommendations for strengthening protections. The NTF will also have the authority to conduct surprise inspections of higher educational institutions and make further recommendations to ensure a holistic approach to addressing mental health concerns and eliminating suicides.
A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court will consider review pleas challenging the October 2023 verdict that declined legal sanction to same-sex marriage. The review pleas will be heard in chambers on January 9, with Justice P S Narasimha being the only member of the original bench that delivered the verdict.
Senior-most Supreme Court judge Sanjiv Khanna on Wednesday recused himself from considering pleas seeking review of the apex court's judgment last year declining legal recognition to same-sex marriage, sources said.
According to the cause list of July 10 uploaded on the apex court website, a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud would consider in chambers the pleas seeking review of the October 17 last year verdict.
Disagreeing with the Centre's submission that the petitions seeking legal validation of same-sex marriage reflected an 'urban elitist' view, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said on Tuesday queerness is not urban or elite, or restricted to upper classes and privileged communities.
"The Union and the state governments must ensure that manual scavenging is completely eradicated," the bench said.
Justice BV Nagarathna said she had to dissent against the demonetisation move by the central government as in 2016, when the decision was announced, the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes comprised 86 per cent of the total currency notes in circulation, and 98 per cent of it came back after they were banned.
A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said there was no ground to reconsider the verdict.
A petition seeking a review of the October 17 verdict refusing to accord legal recognition to same-sex marriages was mentioned before the Supreme Court on Thursday for an open court hearing.
The review plea by one of the petitioners Udit Sood has been filed with the apex court registry.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea seeking to restrain its senior-most judge, Justice D Y Chandrachud, from taking oath as the Chief Justice of India on November 9 by terming the entire petition "misconceived".
Justice Chandrachud, the CJI-designate, will take oath as the 50th Chief Justice of India on November 9.
A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, by a 3:2 majority, on Tuesday upheld one of the adoption regulations prohibiting unmarried and queer couples from adopting children.
Writing a 247-page separate judgement, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud struck down Regulation 5(3) of the CARA, saying it is violative of the rights of the queer community and that the CARA has exceeded its authority in barring unmarried couples from adopting children.
A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had on May 11 reserved its verdict on the pleas after a marathon hearing of 10 days.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and S Ravindra Bhat considered lawyer ML Sharma's submission that a direction for issuing a letters rogatory to collect fresh evidence relating to the deal be issued.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has moved the Supreme Court against the legalisation of same-sex marriages.
Non-heterosexual unions and heterosexual marriages ought to be considered as two sides of the same coin, both in terms of recognition and consequential benefits, Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said as he lamented that the only deficiency at present is the absence of a suitable regulatory framework for such unions.
The Supreme Court has dismissed a batch of petitions, including the one filed by the Maharashtra government, seeking review of its 2021 judgment by which it had quashed the state law granting reservations to Marathas in admissions and government jobs.
Terming the petitions seeking legal validation of same-sex marriage as one which reflect an "urban elitist" view, the Centre has told the Supreme Court that recognition of marriage is essentially a legislative function which the courts should refrain from deciding.
A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices S Ravindra Bhat and Bela M Trivedi said there is no factual or legal error, apparent on the face of record requiring review of the judgment passed by this court.
"This may sound simple and innocuous but it has far-reaching consequences. The court should be circumspect while issuing directions. We would suggest you withdraw your plea," the bench remarked.
Issuing a slew of directions, a bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat (since retired) and Aravind Kumar asked the central and state governments to pay Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the next of kin of those who die while cleaning sewers.
'The State does not accept our rights, what more can I say about this judgment?'
It has also sought a status report from the state government on 183 "police encounters" that have taken place since 2017.
The Supreme Court Thursday reserved verdict on quantum of sentence against fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, accused in bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore involving his defunct Kingfisher Airlines, in a contempt case where he has been found guilty. A bench comprising Justices U U Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and P S Narasimha reserved the judgement after hearing senior advocate and amicus curiae Jaideep Gupta on various aspects related to the contempt law. It even permitted the counsel, who was earlier representing Mallya, to file written submissions, if any, in the case by Tuesday.
The Supreme Court of India directed a former chief secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Monday to move the trial court for anticipatory bail in a gangrape case filed by a 21-year-old woman against him and others.
The Supreme Court, which quashed the controversial skin-to-skin judgment of the Bombay high court in a case under the POCSO Act, said on Thursday that this was the second instance where the attorney general filed an appeal on the criminal side challenging a high court order.
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a PIL seeking the implementation of a uniform judicial code in courts across the country on issues such as case registration, use of common judicial terms, phrases and abbreviations of legal terms.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices S Ravindra Bhat and Bela M Trivedi will decide by circulation in chambers the fate of the five review petitions at 1.50 PM on March 2.
Introducing reservations for economically weaker sections in admissions and government jobs is permissible but excluding SCs, STs and OBCs as they enjoy pre-existing benefits is to heap fresh injustice, the Supreme Court said in its minority verdict on Monday, striking down the 103rd Constitution amendment.
The SC also asked the UP government how the killers got the knowledge that they were being taken to hospital.
If children can go to school at seven in the morning, why cannot judges and lawyers start their day at 9 am, Supreme Court judge Justice UU Lalit remarked on Friday.
An interim order putting on hold the contentious sedition law and the consequential registration of FIRs will continue as the Supreme Court granted additional time to the Centre on Monday to take "appropriate steps" with regard to the reviewing of the colonial-era provision.
The apex court will have to re-constitute a five-judge bench to hear the pleas after Dussehra vacation as the ex-CJI Ramana and Justice R Subhash Reddy, who were part of the five-judge bench which had heard the pleas, have retired.
Directing the Centre, states and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure the queer community is not discriminated against, the CJI, who is heading the constitution bench, said queer is a natural phenomenon known for ages and is neither urban nor elitist.