2023 SCC Vol. 8 Part 1
Advocates — Senior Advocates — Designation of: Guidelines issued by Supreme Court in Indira Jaising, (2017) 9 SCC 766 for greater objectivity
Criminal Trial
“Where women are respected Gods live there”; Supreme Court cancels bail of Rajasthan MLA’s son in 15-year-old’s gang-rape case
The Supreme Court was of the opinion that the Rajasthan High Court seemed to have been primarily swayed by the delay in filing the complaint i.e. 13 months for granting bail in favour of the accused, without considering other important facts.
Inside the Supreme Court Verdict: How Ex-RJD MP Prabhunath Singh was Convicted in 1995 Double Murder Case
With Ex-RJD MP Prabhunath Singh’s highhandedness and the police, the public prosecutor and the Judiciary failing in their duty, the Supreme Court called the case an “exceptionally Painful Episode of Criminal Justice System”.
2023 SCC Vol. 6 Part 5
Criminal Law — Criminal Trial — Circumstantial Evidence — Generally: Principles reiterated relating to essential conditions that must be fulfilled before conviction
Further Investigation permissible even after the final report laid before the Magistrate has been accepted: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court made clear that further investigation cannot be put at par with prosecution and punishment and hence, the principle of double jeopardy would not apply.
No proper opportunity given to Defence Council for defending rape convict; Orissa High Court set aside conviction order
Orissa High Court said that a criminal trial is not an IPL T20 match where every ‘substitute player’ can be an ‘impact player’, engaging a new State Defence Council without providing him police papers is gross illegality.
Supreme Court February 2023| Full strength of 34 judges; AIBE; Decriminalisation of adultery; Compensation for bad haircut; DNA test in Divorce cases; and more
This roundup revisits the analyses of Supreme Court’s judgments/orders on validity of AIBE; ex-communication of Dawoodi Bohras; decriminalisation of adultery; permissibility of DNA test of children to prove allegations of adultery; and more. It also covers reports on the career trajectory & important decisions of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Dipankar Dutta and the newly appointed 7 judges of the Supreme Court; Explainers on important law points; and Cases Reported in SCC Weekly in the month of February.
2023 SCC Vol. 2 Part 2
Constitution of India — Art. 14 — Right to equality — Reasonable accommodation of disabled or differently-abled persons — Requirement of: There
Evidence can be appreciated best only when it is recorded in the language of the witness: Supreme Court
The observation of the Supreme Court came in a case where the deposition of the prosecutrix was recorded by the trial court in English language though she had deposed in her vernacular language.
‘Each breach of promise to marry is not a false promise’; Supreme Court acquits man accused of rape by a mother of three
The Supreme Court observed that the prosecutrix had betrayed her husband and three children by having relationship with the accused during the subsistence of her marriage and had continued to live with the accused even after finding out that he was a married man having children.
Right to Information| Chargesheets and final reports not equivalent to FIRs; can’t be published on State Websites for public access: Supreme Court
The prayer seeking free public access to chargesheets and final reports was made relying on ruling in Youth Bar Association of India v. Union of India, (2016) 9 SCC 473, wherein the Supreme Court had directed copies of FIRs to be published within 24 hours of their registration on the police websites or on the websites of the State Governments.
Explained | Why Supreme Court transferred former Andhra Pradesh Minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy’s murder trial to CBI Special Court at Hyderabad
Supreme Court observed that the principles of Administration of Justice states that justice should not only be done but it should be seen to be done and free and fair trial is sine qua non of Article 21 of the Constitution.
Can a ‘customer’ in a brothel be proceeded against criminally under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956; Kerala High Court answers
Kerala High Court held that the words ‘person with whom such prostitution is carried on’ as appearing in section 7(1) of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 will include a ‘customer’. Thus, a customer in a brothel can be proceeded against criminally.
Supreme Court grants anticipatory bail to a woman accused of Bigamy
The woman has alleged that she has been falsely implicated in a case of bigamy and cheating, on the basis of a clerical mistake committed by the Bank agent who mistakenly entered the name of her business partner as her husband and Nominee.
Section 319 CrPC power to be exercised before pronouncement of order of sentence or acquittal, as the case may be; SC enumerates 12 guidelines
On 10.05.2019, a division Bench had observed that the question with regard to the actual stage at which the trial is said to have concluded is required to be authoritatively considered since the power under Section 319 of CrPC is extraordinary in nature.
Supreme Court November 2022| CJI Chandrachud’s to-do list; EWS Quota; Kathua and Chhawla gangrape-murder cases; Rajiv Gandhi assassination case; Never Reported Judgments; and more
This roundup revisits the analyses of Supreme Court’s judgments/orders on constitutionality of EWS Quota and dissent; Juvenility of Kathua gangrape-murder accused; acquittal of all Chhawla gangrape-murder accused; why Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts were set free, and more. It also covers reports on Justice Chandrachud’s appointment as the 50th CJI and his to-do-list; CJI UU Lalit’s retirement; explainers on important law points; some Never Reported Judgments; and career trajectory and important decision of Justice BR Gavai.
Uttaranchal High Court | Word “appears” under Section 319 CrPC has great significance; Higher level of satisfaction than mere prima facie case is required for summoning of an accused
Uttaranchal High Court: While allowing the revision petitions, the single judge bench of Ravindra Maithani, J. has held that Sessions
“Left with no alternative”, Supreme Court acquits all 3 accused in Chhawla Gang Rape and Murder case
“The prosecution has to bring home the charges levelled against them beyond reasonable doubt, which the prosecution has failed to do in the instant case, resultantly, the Court is left with no alternative but to acquit the accused, though involved in a very heinous crime.”