In the high courts, only 13.2 per cent women occupied the position of judge.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has strongly criticised the government over alleged police excesses against students, demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack Home Minister Amit Shah. Gandhi also called for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the "brutalities" and accused the Lok Sabha of silencing him when he tried to speak on the issue.
A judgment of a Constitution bench would be "binding" on benches of lesser strength, the Supreme Court has said while recalling an April 2022 verdict delivered by it.
The Supreme Court has ruled that courts must first decide on allegations of adultery made by a husband before granting interim maintenance to the wife, stating that if adultery is proven, the wife is not entitled to maintenance.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea by the DMK questioning Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's scheduled meeting with the families of Karur stampede victims, stating that the court cannot regulate the executive head's visits.
The Meghalaya government has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, who is accused of murdering her husband during their honeymoon. The state argues that the High Court erred in its decision, citing a typographical error in the grounds of arrest and the risk of the accused absconding.
Leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, have vowed to escalate their agitation against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, expanding protests nationwide after their release from detention. They allege an "emergency-like situation" created by the Modi government, illegal detentions, and harassment of protesters, drawing parallels to the 1975 Emergency. The CJP is protesting alleged irregularities in voter rolls and demanding Kumar's resignation, accusing authorities of suppressing dissent.
The Supreme Court has agreed to dissolve the marriage of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his estranged wife Payal Abdullah. The decision came after both parties submitted an application under Article 142 of the Constitution, indicating a settlement and mutual agreement to end their marriage, overturning previous lower court rulings that had denied the divorce.
The Supreme Court has deferred the hearing on the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque dispute in Mathura. The adjournment comes as Hindu parties involved in the case are reportedly engaged in off-the-record talks to determine which lawsuit will serve as the lead case. The court was hearing a plea challenging an Allahabad High Court order that designated one Hindu party as the representative for all Lord Krishna devotees.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has reconstituted a three-member committee to investigate the potential removal of Justice Yashwant Varma following the recovery of cash from his residence. The committee has been granted a three-month extension.
The Supreme Court has declared the right to walk on demarcated footpaths a fundamental right, directing all states and Union Territories to ensure proper, encroachment-free pedestrian spaces. The court emphasised that footpaths are integral to human life and safety, and states must respond to advisories issued by central ministries regarding their implementation.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and several states on a plea demanding a comprehensive national Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the safe and orderly conduct of the annual Kanwar Yatra, including inter-state coordination and effective traffic management.
The Supreme Court has been informed that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's final draft report on the June 2025 Air India flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad will be submitted in October. The court is hearing petitions seeking an independent probe into the accident, which claimed 260 lives.
Supreme Court judge Justice B V Nagarathna has cautioned against the over-reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the judiciary, emphasising the need for judicial independence from algorithmic influence. She stressed that AI should only serve as a tool and not replace human judgement, which is guided by legal reasoning, constitutional values, and a deep sense of justice.
"Judge Gorsuch has a superb intellect, an unparalleled legal education, and a commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to its text. He will make an incredible Justice as soon as the Senate confirms him," said the US president.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday barred Karnataka Police from taking any coercive steps against badminton player Lakshya Sen, his family members, and coach over allegations of forging birth certificates.
Nepal's Supreme Court has ordered the release of former Energy Minister Deepak Khadka, who was detained in connection with a money laundering case. The court cited unlawful detention and insufficient evidence as reasons for its decision.
An IndianOil officer, Mahesh Shelke, was fatally attacked with a sharp weapon while inspecting a petrol pump in Hingoli district, Maharashtra. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Indian Oil Corporation have called for swift and strict action against those responsible. The incident draws parallels to the 2005 killing of another IOC officer, S Manjunath.
Supreme Court judge Justice Manmohan stated that criticism of the existing legal system should be viewed as a suggestion for improvement rather than a condemnation. He highlighted the importance of addressing shortcomings to elevate the system and urged law firms to adopt a global perspective on legal education. He also emphasised the need for human oversight in technology and addressing the issue of pendency in the legal system.
The Supreme Court dismissed the Odisha government's plea to modify an order allowing the release of the animated film "Mahaprabhu Jagannath". The court emphasised that creativity, art, and culture should not be curtailed due to sensitivities regarding deity depictions, especially for children's animation.
The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that authorities in Muscat are examining claims that the family of Indian merchant navy captain Ashish Kumar received ransom calls following his disappearance after a drone or missile attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Judges Inquiry Committee, formed to investigate allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma, has submitted its report to the Lok Sabha Speaker. The report, concerning allegations that led to impeachment proceedings, will be presented before both Houses of Parliament.
The Tamil Nadu government has appealed to the Supreme Court against a Madras High Court judgment. The High Court ruled that individuals converting to Islam cannot claim reservation under the Backward Class (Muslim) category solely based on conversion, striking down a state Government Order that allowed such benefits.
The Goa government on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking enhanced sentence for journalist Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 sexual assault case, contending the case warrants imprisonment for life.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke called for a 'Lehra do Tiranga' march in Central Park, Connaught Place, on Friday, despite the NDMC announcing the park's closure and Delhi Police citing prohibitory orders against mass gatherings. The march is part of an ongoing protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls. Police have urged people to stay away, while Dipke questioned the authorities' stance on waving the national flag and alleged surveillance. The agitation follows the arrest of CJP leaders and the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a protest site.
The Congress party has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging "vote chori" and treason, following a media report revealing that two other Election Commissioners had formally objected to decisions regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have accused the BJP, RSS, and EC of undermining democracy, citing concerns over voter list tampering and lack of transparency.
The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that the 'creamy layer' principle, which excludes affluent individuals from reservation benefits, does not apply to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). This stance opposes Public Interest Litigations (PILs) seeking to implement such a principle for SC/ST reservations and to direct the government to formulate policies for more equitable distribution of reservation benefits.
The Supreme Court is considering whether a typographical error in an arrest memo is sufficient grounds to invalidate an arrest and grant bail in a murder case. The case involves Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of her husband's murder, who was granted bail by the Meghalaya High Court due to a procedural error in her arrest document. The Solicitor General argued that the error was clerical and the gravity of the crime should outweigh such a technicality.
The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a petition seeking to abolish execution by hanging, affirming its legality while strongly emphasising that the State must carry out capital punishment in a manner that minimises suffering and preserves human dignity, even for condemned prisoners.
The Supreme Court has directed the release of a 70-year-old man by suspending his sentence as it termed the nearly half century long litigation in a double-murder case from Jharkhand a "failure of judicial system."
The Supreme Court has ruled that mere swear words, profanities, and vulgar expletives, however offensive, do not amount to obscenity under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code. The court clarified that for an utterance to be considered obscene, it must be lascivious, appeal to prurient interests, and have the tendency to deprave and corrupt minds. This ruling came while hearing a plea challenging a high court order confirming a conviction under IPC Section 294.
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to consider a batch of contempt petitions alleging that demolitions were carried out in violation of its 2024 judgment and asked aggrieved parties to approach the high courts concerned.
The Supreme Court has stressed the importance of law enforcement agencies exercising restraint during protests, advocating for the pacification and counselling of youngsters, even if some engage in stone-pelting, as it agreed to hear a plea regarding accountability for protest organisers.
'On a plain reading of Article 121, it can be said that the chairman's casting vote can be invoked in either of these cases.'
The remarks were made by the bench which refused to agree with the submission made on behalf of Justice Varma that the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha had no power to reject a motion and, under the Judges (Inquiry) Act of 1968, only the Speaker and the chairman have the power to accept or reject a motion against a judge.
The Supreme Court has agreed to urgently hear the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling, who has been incarcerated for seven-and-a-half years in the 2018 Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, with the hearing scheduled for next week.
We must heed what the CJI has said. Challenging every judgment of the central government is inviting chaos, asserts Shreekant Sambrani.
The Supreme Court asserted that the right to peaceful protest is 'absolutely guaranteed' and an agitation cannot justify 'police excesses' or a 'lathi charge,' while agreeing to hear pleas concerning alleged police brutality against students protesting the NEET paper leak.
Supreme Court judge Justice B V Nagarathna stated that judicial independence in the modern era includes freedom from algorithmic influence, emphasising that AI should only assist judges, who must ultimately decide based on constitutional values and human judgment.
The statement posted on the apex court Web site said, 'A complaint dated October 6, 2020, sent by the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh to the Supreme Court was dealt with under the in-house procedure and the same, on due consideration, stands dismissed. It be noted that all the matters dealt with under the in-house procedure being strictly confidential in nature, are not liable to be made public'.
