Legal News

 India Legal News: Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Law & Justice, last week inaugurated the National Review Meeting of the Project on ‘Access to Justice for Marginalized People’ in New Delhi. More than 80 participants from the government, judicial, academics, legal services authorities, UN agencies and Civil Society Organizations are attending the 2-day Review Meeting.

 India Legal News: The Government today announced the nomination of Justice Markandey Katju, retired judge of the Supreme Court of India as the Press Council of India’s Chairman.

After a day, when actor Imran Khan challenged liquor legislation, the social media world has vented once again in full force, as to drink or not to drink.

 As per India legal news reports in August 25, 2010, the Maharashtra State Government has passed a Bill to ensure transparency and accountability of public servants in the state. The Madhya Pradesh Public Services Guarantee Act, 2010 will be the first legislation ever which ensures the delivery of public services to the public within a stipulated time period. 

Allegations of corruption have grown stronger against the ex-Chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board, B. Karunakar Reddy, following which he threatened to go on infinite hunger strike, if the government does not take any action in response to his appeal for an inquiry within next 2 days. The allegations pertain to financial irregularities in the administration of the Tirupati Temple. The TTD is the regulatory body that governs the temples in Andhra Pradesh and is currently facing corruption charges for selling ‘darshan tickets in black marketing.’ Another grave allegation pertains to misplacing Lord Tirupati’s precious ornaments. 

In August 2010,  India legal news reports indicate that 386 foreign companies are featured in the government’s Prior Approval Category (PAC) list. This is due to non-payment or lesser payment of salaries and other issues associated with exploitation of Indian workers.  

In August 2010, India legal news reports indicate that the well known business baron and Rajyasabha member, Vijay Mallya filed a complaint, alleging that his personal website www.mallyainparliament.in was hacked. According to Mallya’s complaint, this website was hacked by a group who call themselves as ‘Pakistan Cyber Army.’ The hackers damaged the contents of the website and left a Pakistani flag, with anti-Indian messages and threats on it.

In August 2010, global news reports indicate that a Briton taxi driver Gul Wazir and his wife Niaz Begum were brutally killed in Pakistan. The Wazirs, who resided in Birmingham, were killed for aborting the marriage of their daughters.

According to India legal news reports in August 2010, the Chief Justice of India, S.H. Kapadia, expressed his displeasure pertaining to the Government’s intervention in the country’s justice delivery system. While addressing lawyers, judges, law teachers and law officials during the inauguration of the All India Seminar on Judicial Reforms, the CJI stated that disregarding section 24 of the Criminal Procedure Code impacted the quality of government petitioners.  There were hundreds of law students, academicians and advocates from different parts of the country who attended this seminar. At this seminar, the CJI stated that it is important for the government to consult the judiciary in the selection of prosecutors, as they play a significant role in efficient dispensation of criminal matters.

 Public interest litigation is an integral part of Indian law and its legal system. In August 2010, the Central Government informed the Madras High Court that it has decided to introduce new rules to form a regulatory authority to streamline the operations of law firms in India.  

Mr. M. Ravindran, additional solicitor-general and a senior advocate from South India, made this submission, in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The PIL demanded the restriction of foreign law firms from functioning in India. This PIL was filed by Advocate A.K Balaji.