Hc Judges

SC asks HCs to form panel over judges pay commission recommendations

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked all high courts to expedite setting up a two-judge panel to address grievances of district judicial officers on the implementation of the Second National Judges Pay Commission recommendations. A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai, Augustine George Masih and K Vinod Chandran passed the order after senior advocate K Paremeshwar, who is assisting it as an amicus curiae, said many high courts were yet to form the Committees for Service Conditions of the District Judiciary (CSCDJ) as directed by it earlier. The top court, on January 4 last year, said it recommended setting up the two-judge panel in all high courts to ensure that the orders on pay, pension and other retiral benefits for judicial officers as per the Second National Judicial Pay Commission (SNJPC) were implemented. On Tuesday, the amicus said while some high courts had set up the panels, they did not meet regularly to deal with the grievances, prompting several judicial officers to move t

Delhi HC calls for X-category security for 300 judges amid safety breaches

X-category security involves two armed police officers, but does not include commandos, making it the lowest level of security in this system

Govt forwards parliamentary panel's report to SC, HCs on judges' vacation

The government has forwarded recommendations of a parliamentary committee on staggered vacation for judges to the secretary general of the Supreme Court and registrars general of 25 high court for "appropriate consideration". In a written reply in Lok Sabha on Friday, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the standing committee on law and personnel had referred to the suggestion of former chief justice of India R M Lodha that instead of all judges going on vacations, all at one time, individual judges should take their leave at different times of the year so that the courts are constantly open and they are always present to hear cases. The committee was of the opinion that Justice Lodha's suggestion on court vacations should be considered by the Judiciary. "Accordingly, the recommendation of the Rajya Sabha DRPSC (department-related standing committee) in respect of the aforementioned subject was forwarded by the government to the Secretary General, Supreme Court and all Registrars

Delhi riots: Judge recuses from hearing bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, others

Delhi High Court judge Amit Sharma recused himself on Thursday from hearing a batch of bail pleas in a UAPA case linked to an alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 communal riots here, including that of student activist Sharjeel Imam. The matters were listed before a division bench headed by Justice Prathiba M Singh after a change in the roster of judges dealing with such cases. "Let these matters be listed before another bench of which one of us, Justice Sharma, is not a member, subject to the orders of the acting chief justice, on July 24," Justice Singh ordered. The other accused persons in the case include Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) youth wing leader and Jamia Millia Islamia student Meeran Haider and Alumni Association of Jamia Millia Islamia president Shifa-ur-Rehman. Imam, United Against Hate founder Khalid Saifi and several others, including former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid, have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UA

21 retired judges write to CJI against attempts to 'undermine' judiciary

Former Supreme Court and high court judges expressed concerns over attempts by certain factions 'to undermine the judiciary through calculated pressure, misinformation, and public disparagement'

Gyanvapi mosque row: HC judge recuses from hearing plea against court order

Allahabad High Court judge Justice Manish Kumar Nigam on Wednesday recused himself from hearing a plea challenging the Varanasi district court's refusal to direct the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake a survey of the 'wazukhana' area except the 'Shivling' inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex. The court said the matter be placed before the court of chief justice for nomination of another judge and fixed January 31 as the next date of hearing. The revision petition was filed by Rakhi Singh, who is one of the plaintiffs in the Shringar Gauri worshipping suit which is presently pending before the Varanasi district court. In her application before the Varanasi court, which was rejected on October 21, 2023, the primary contention raised by Singh was that the survey of the wazukhana, excluding the 'Shivling' is necessary to ascertain the religious character of the property in question. However, while rejecting her application, the district judge had observed in his order tha

Ministry of Law and Justice notifies transfer of several high court judges

Recently, the collegium has recommended the transfer of several judges from High Courts across the country despite requests from several of them to reconsider its decision

Two HC judges elevated to SC, total strength of apex court reaches 34

Two high court chief justices were on Friday elevated to the Supreme Court, bringing the total strength of the apex court to its maximum of 34 judges. "As per the provisions under the Constitution of India, Hon'ble President of India has appointed the following Chief Justices of High Courts as Judges of the Supreme Court. My best to them: Rajesh Bindal, Chief Justice, Allahabad HC and Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice, Gujarat HC," Law Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted. Once they take oath, the top court will achieve its full strength of 34 judges, including the Chief Justice of India. Their names were recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium last month. Last week, five judges were appointed to the Supreme Court.

Aspersions should not be cast on appointment of Victoria as HC judge: Govt

Differences of opinion are a part of democracy and there are ways to find solutions to that, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Thursday in Rajya Sabha on whether there exists differences between the judiciary and the executive on the issue of appointment of judges. The government also said aspersions should not be cast on appointment of Victoria Gowri as a judge of the high court, asserting that she has been appointed through a process. Asked by TMC member Jawhar Sircar whether the appointment of Gowri was right even when she has been accused in public of making casteist remarks, of remarks against minorities, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal sought the indulgence of the chair. "I think there should be some decorum. An honourable judge has been duly appointed through a process. I don't think we, as honourable members here, should be casting aspersions of this nature. I seek your indulgence," Goyal said. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the three wings of the state have to

Gowri to take oath as Madras HC judge, SC to hear plea against her today

Advocate Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri, whose appointment has been challenged in the Supreme Court, will take oath as a judge of the Madras High Court at 10.35 a.m. on Tuesday

There was no proposal to reintroduce a modified NJAC, says Centre

The Centre further said that out of the 34 judge strength of the Supreme Court, 27 judges are working in the, which puts the vacancy to 7

Supreme Court to set up separate special Bench to hear tax matters

Abhishek Rastogi said the Bench would be useful to expedite the matters and would also ensure that a lot of matters on the same issue were clubbed and placed in one single Bench

A fresh beginning

Justice Chandrachud's term will be closely followed

SC dismisses plea to block Justice Chandrachud's appointment as next CJI

The petition sought contempt proceedings and criminal action against Justice Chandrachud, objected to CJI Lalit hearing the case

SC appointments: What is the collegium system, and how does it work?

The collegium is a group consisting of the Chief Justice of India and the four seniormost judges of the Supreme Court that decides the appointment of judges to the apex court

Centre recommends elevation of two judges as CJs of Karnataka and J-K HC

The Centre has notified the elevation of two judges as chief justices of the Karnataka High Court, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, and also notified the transfer of Chief Justice of J&K High Court to the Rajasthan High Court.

153 high court judges appointed this year; more appointments likely: Report

A total of 153 judges have been appointed to the various high courts in this calendar year so far, with sources on Thursday hinting at more appointments to the higher judiciary in the coming days. Six additional judges were appointed to the Bombay High Court on Thursday. It is learnt that the government is also set to take a call on the elevation of Bombay High Court Chief Justice Dipankar Datta to the top court shortly. If he is appointed to the apex court, its working strength will go up to 30. The sanctioned strength of the top court is 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). The government is also set to initiate the process of appointing the next CJI, most likely this week or early next week. As part of the procedure, the Union law minister writes to the CJI to name his or her successor. Justice Uday Umesh Lalit retires as the CJI on November 8. Justice D Y Chandrachud is the senior-most judge after the CJI. As per practice, the CJI names the senior-most judge as hi

Kerala judge transferred over observations in sexual harassment case

Kozhikode District and Sessions judge S Krishnakumar, who had made controversial observations in his orders while granting bail to an accused in two sexual harassment cases, has been transferred as Presiding Officer of Labour Court in Kollam. According to the transfer order issued by the Kerala High Court, Muralee Krishna S, District and Sessions Judge, Manjeri, will be the new District and Sessions judge, Kozhikode. In the judiciary-transfer and posting orders of District and Sessions judges issued by the high court late on Tuesday, as part of its routine administrative affairs, has transferred two other judges also. Judge Krishnakumar's observations regarding survivors in his two orders on the anticipatory bail pleas moved by accused 'Civic' Chandran, who is also a writer and social activist, in two sexual harassment cases had stirred up a nation-wide controversy. The Kerala government has moved the High Court seeking to set aside the sessions court orders granting bail to ...

Madras HC judge uses Whatsapp to hear petitioner, lawyer in separate places

For the first time in the annals of the Madras High Court, a judge has conducted a case through 'WhatsApp', and on a Sunday. Justice G R Swaminathan took up the case while being stationed in Nagercoil, where he had gone to attend a marriage function on Sunday, following a submission of P R Srinivasan, the hereditary trustee of Shri Abheeshta Varadaraja Swamy temple, that his village will face the 'divine wrath' if the proposed 'Rath' (Car) festival was not held on Monday. "This fervent prayer of the writ petitioner made me hold an emergency sitting from Nagercoil and conduct the case through Whatsapp," the judge said in the opening sentence of his order. It was a triangular session, with the judge hearing the case from Nagercoil, petitioner's counsel V Raghavachari at one place and Advocate-General R Shanmugasundaram, at another place, in the city. The issue pertained to a temple in Dharmapuri district. Holding that the Inspector attached to the Hindu Religious and Charitable ...

A question of preference: Meet Saurabh Kirpal, senior advocate, SC

Kirpal's elevation and the high court order will indicate in which direction India is going