Judiciary

Justice Surya Kant, brings decades of distinguished service, marked by landmark rulings on free speech, privacy, and human rights, and faces crucial judicial reform challenges ahead. He takes oath as the next CJI on November 24 

Disappointed with family, 28-year-long legal battle, litigant ends life by jumping off Pune court building

As per the note found in his pocket, Jadhav's father sold a property in 1997 without his consent. Jadhav subsequently filed a suit against the buyer which was still going on.

'Immature': SC bar association chief slams PM advisor Sanjeev Sanyal's 'judiciary biggest hurdle' remark

"To say that judiciary is responsible for India's developmental hurdles is very immature,” Singh asserted, rejecting Sanyal’s claim.

Grey area in draft of law increases scope for judicial intervention, legislative draft must be clear, precise: Om Birla

Birla said that better the drafting, the more effective, error-free, and just the law will be.

OPINION | The enduring impact of judicial dissent

A dissent in the Supreme Court may not be an explanation in a lost cause. Jurisprudence is filled with examples where a subsequent generation saw merit in the logic undergirding an earlier dissent and mainstreamed it

OPINION | Reforming the collegium system will preserve judicial independence, not undermine it

For the judiciary to remain independent, it must first acknowledge its own flaws and correct them. Ignoring the cracks in the Collegium only invites external intervention, which would compromise its autonomy

Justice Prashant Kumar, criticised in SC order, to sit in Allahabad HC's division bench; to hear civil matters

Earlier, the Supreme Court had strongly criticised Justice Kumar's reasoning and had expressed shock at his conclusion that civil disputes could be pursued through criminal prosecution because civil suits "take years to conclude".

Nothing is perfect; we need to find better system to replace collegium: Former SC judge Oka

No system is perfect, former SC justice Abhay Oka said, speaking on "Holding the government to account: The role of an independent judiciary and a free press" at an event in Mumbai.

Justice in Despair: How India’s judiciary mishandles sexual harassment allegations within its ranks

Supreme Court addressed and remedied the legal vacuum in sexual harassment through an innovative approach.  It then took the Parliament more than a decade to address the issue through legislation. The judiciary’s pioneering effort, however, has been undone by the tardy and unsympathetic approach to complaints from within the institution

Justice Varma Cash Row: SC Rejects RTI Plea For In House Panel Report, CJI's Letter To President, PM

The Supreme Court administration has denied an RTI request seeking access to a report by a court-appointed committee that confirmed cash discovery allegations against Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma. The RTI plea also sought related communications by then Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Citing confidentiality and possible violation of parliamentary privilege, the Court rejected the request. The three-member panel—comprising Chief Justices Sheel Nagu, G S Sandhawalia, and Justice Anu Sivaraman—finalized the report on May 3. Following due process, the report and Justice Varma’s response were shared with constitutional authorities. Sources indicated that CJI Khanna urged the judge to resign, but after no compliance, it is now up to the executive and Parliament to decide further action. As per procedure, if a judge does not resign, the CJI may recommend impeachment to the President and Prime Minister.

Tareekh Pe Justice: A book on lower judiciary, the challenges it faces and the road ahead

This book examines systemic issues plaguing India’s district courts, highlighting judicial delays, lack of independence, and flawed oversight, while advocating structural reforms and accountability of higher judiciary to improve justice delivery

India justice report calls for reforms in judiciary through honest assessment

The India Justice Report 2025 highlights major challenges in India’s judiciary, including judge shortages, high caseloads, poor infrastructure, and inadequate legal aid, urging urgent reforms to improve access to justice and system efficiency

The procedure of the in-house probe in case of judicial misconduct

There’s an in-house inquiry on to ascertain the truth in the matter of the discovery of half-burnt currency notes in the residence of Delhi High Court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma. This mode of inquiry is about three decades old and evolved as a measure to cope with allegations of judicial misconduct 

Can the judiciary ever be made accountable?

Official misconduct and impropriety are not rare in any branch of the state. What sets the judiciary apart is its lack of accountability. The judges of the higher judiciary, that is, the Supreme Court of India and High Courts, are accountable only to Parliament. However, enforcement of accountability through this mechanism is practically non-existent

'Judges want to assume...': Trump criticises judiciary, demands Supreme Court end nationwide injunctions

Former President Donald Trump urged the Supreme Court to restrict federal judges from issuing nationwide injunctions against his policies. His remarks follow ongoing legal battles, including over 100 lawsuits, with courts blocking key measures like curbing automatic birthright citizenship.

Bail has to be the rule if clearing judicial backlog matters

The apex court has tilted in favour of privileging fundamental rights over statutory laws if the prosecution takes an inordinate time to finish investigation. In a related area, there are more than four million pending criminal cases which began over a decade ago. Many languish in jail as undertrials. Is there a way to clear the backlog without being more liberal about bail?

An Indian judge whose work left its mark on judiciary in other lands

Justice AN Grover was one of three judges superseded after having been a part of the majority in the landmark ‘Basic Structure’ judgement. He was also part of the bench which decided on the ‘Bank Nationalisation’ and ‘Privy Purses’ cases. Of the three it is ‘Basic Structure’ which left its imprint in other jurisdictions as brought out in an insightful biography of Justice Grover

Independent exercise of judicial power not only prerogative, but also duty: Justice BV Nagarathna

Justice Nagarathna said that it was ultimately conviction, courage and independence of judges which decide matters before a court of law.

India's Arbitration Reform: Enhancing neutrality and global standing

India's arbitration landscape has undergone a remarkable transformation, shifting from unpredictable court interference to a more arbitration-friendly environment. Recent amendments emphasize the need for an arbitrators' independence and impartiality, to enhance the country’s global arbitration credibility 

Modi 3.0: Cease post-retirement appointments in tribunals, expand the judiciary — Former SG Ranjit Kumar

Tribunals have faced criticism over the years for pendency of cases and delay in the appointment of members.

Lawyers write to CJI against 'vested interest' groups building pressure on judiciary

The letter alleged that the vested interest groups use methods such as propagation of false narratives about a ‘golden era’ of the judiciary, aimed at discrediting current proceedings and undermining public confidence in the courts.

'New criminal laws to focus on justice, old laws focused on punishment' says PM Modi

PM Narendra Modi said "He said "Earlier, the focus was on punishment and penal aspects. Now, the focus is on ensuring justice. Therefore, citizens have a sense of assurance rather than fear.”

Difficult for court to order immediate implementation of Women's Reservation: SC

The bench said there is a petition pending before the top court on the issue and it will take up Thakur's plea along with that on November 22.

Timely Verdict, Transparency & Ease to Victim: 10 Ways Govt is Overhauling India's Justice System

A new provision has been included for crimes related to murder on the basis of race, caste, community etc. for which a provision of minimum seven years imprisonment, life imprisonment or death penalty has been made

Why we are failing to eliminate judicial pendency

A two-pronged, bottom-up approach that involves recruiting more judicial officers in the district judiciary and ramping up the supporting structural components they need like more courtrooms, court staff, basic amenities and technology cannot wait any longer. There are more than 4 crore cases pending in the lower judiciary