INDIA- Supreme Court says that the Death sentence is only adequate when a life sentence is not

A man convicted of raping and killing a minor girl in 2015 was saved from the death sentence by the Supreme Court on Tuesday. A bench of Justices NV Ramana, M M Shantanagoudar and Indira Banerjee gave the convict a sentence of 25 years in jail for killing and raping an underage girl. The court said that the traditional and dogmatic approach to justice should be replaced by rational and realistic approaches for delivering justice.

 

INDIA- More Indian women claim inheritance as the property prices rise

The rise in property prices in some parts of India have motivated more Indian women across the country to claim their rightful inheritance. In 2005 amendments were made to the Hindu Succession Act which gave men and women equal inheritance rights, however, only a few women have actually made claims because most of them are unaware of the new law or, according to gender experts, have been forced to give up inheritance by male family members. Although the increase in property value could motivate more women to claim inheritance, women still have little control over the property they rightfully should inherit.

 

INDIA- Advocate held guilty of contempt by Supreme Court

Matthews Nedumpara has been held guilty of contempt for remarking that the process in which senior advocates are designated is “filled with nepotism”. The incident occurred while Nedumpara was arguing his case which sought for the dismantling of the system which designates senior advocates in front of Justice Rohinton Nariman. He then referred to senior advocate Fali S Nariman (father of Justice R Nariman) in his comments on nepotism. Nedumpara has been given two weeks to reply on the question of his sentence.

 

AMERICA – Actor Jussie Smollett calls for cameras in court

Jussie Smollett’s legal team has asked for cameras in court as they prepare their defense of the actor who is accused of allegedly staging an attack that made him look like he was the victim of a brutal hate crime. Attorney Tina Glandian, representing Jussie in court for a brief hearing, said she “welcomes” cameras in the courtroom so the public can see the evidence “and lack thereof”. Cameras are not typically allowed in Illinois courtrooms, but proceedings are filmed if state judges feel it is in public interest.

 

INDIA- Government says that the leaked Rafale Secret Documents jeopardized national security

On Wednesday the government told the Supreme Court that the petition seeking to review the Rafale deal documents are “sensitive to national security” and those who leaked the documents have committed theft and jeopardized the security of the country. The Ministry of Defence said that the petitioners – Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie, and Prashant Bhushan- are all guilty of penal offenses under the Indian Penal Code. The government then insisted that Sinha, Shourie, and Bhushan are using the unauthorized documents to mislead the apex court, and insisted that the Union of India remove the documents from the record.

 

INDIA- Lok Sabha poll dates sent to the president

The process of notifying the seven-phase Lok Sabha poll dates was initiated on Wednesday by the Election Commission when it sent its recommendation to president Ram Nath Kovind. On 10 March the EC noted that it had sent the mandatory recommendation to the Union Law Ministry who will announce the Lok Sabha election dates.

 

AMERICA – Pace Law’s environmental law program joint-best in the country, U.S News claims

Under the latest rankings released by U.S News and World Report, the acclaimed environmental law program at Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law is the joint-best in the country. Located in a part of the U.S renowned for its environmental activism, the environmental program at Pace Law, celebrating its 40-year anniversary, offers over 40 environmental law courses and has seen drastic growth in its profile in recent times. The environmental law program will receive the Hudson Heron Award from the Riverkeeper in May.

 

INDIA – 8 soon-to-be judges red-flagged by Modi government

A list, submitted by the Punjab and Haryana High Courts, containing names of 8 lawyers eligible for elevation to judges has raised integrity issues and nepotism concerns in the Modi government. Four of the candidates were rejected after an evaluation exercise and six of the candidates were related to former HC judges or practiced as juniors under lawyers who are now on the bench. The Modi government has expressed its displeasure over the situation.

 

INDIA- Western Odisha Lawyers’ body will relax

The Western Odisha Lawyers’ Association will relax its attempts to acquire a permanent High Court Bench after the Elections Commission of India imposed its model code of conduct for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. According to the Sambalpur District Bar Association, all affidavits can be filed from 15 March, land can be registered from 18 March and the court will partially start on the 25 March.

 

DUBAI – Public Displays of affection could get you jailed in The UAE

Dubai is the perfect place for a vacation. Beautiful beaches, larger than life shopping malls and remarkable architecture are some of the things that make it a dream getaway destination. Still, those traveling to the United Arab Emirates should get affiliated with the culture of the country. A simple kiss could have serious consequences. While unmarried couples are not permitted to share a hotel room, public displays of affection between married couples are also restricted. Holding hands and kissing is considered “inappropriate behavior”.

 

INDIA- Delhi HC issues a notice to senior health office about malpractice in private hospitals

On Tuesday the Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Delhi government’s Directorate General of Health Services to hear its take on the plea which alleges that the organization does not keep tabs on prices and services provided by private nursing homes and hospitals. The petition filed by president of the NGO Legal Forum for Women Empowerment, Payal Bahl, sought for a mechanism to help the public file complaints against malpractice by private health institutions. The petition also urged the court to order the DGHS to develop a policy to bring uniformity in prices charged by such institutions.

 

UNITED KINGDOM – Government report says competition policy needs to change to help startups battle “winner takes all” platforms

The UK government has commissioned an independent report to examine how competition policy needs to be adjusted for the digital age. The report came to the conclusion that tech giants do not face enough competition and that the law needs to be reviewed in order to address the “novel” challenges of ‘winner takes all’ platforms. The panel also suggested more policy interventions to actively assist startup companies, while calling for new powers to force tech giants to provide small startups with access to key data set, without compromising individual privacy.

 

INDIA- Bombay HC posts bail applications for accused suspects in Elgaar Parishad case

The Bombay High Court posted bail applications for two of the accused suspects arrested in connection with the Elgaar Parishad Case. An affidavit filed by the Pune police opposed the bail plea and accused the suspects of trying to overthrow the government. ACP Shivaji Pawar of Pune police told the court that Arun Ferriera and Vernon Gonsalves were senior members of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and were planning to overthrow the government. Justice P N Deshmukh posted a further hearing of the issue on 5 April.

 

INDIA- NADA recruitment invites applications for 2019 vacancies

The National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) has called for applications in the posts of Law Officer, Investigator and others. Eligible candidates can submit applications on paper together with certified copies of certificates and a passport photograph to Director General, National Anti Doping Agency, Hall No. 104, First Floor, JLN Stadium, New Delhi-110003 on or before 31 March 2019.

 

AMERICA – Licenses for illegal immigrants divides opinion

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Banks has become the latest New York official to approve the proposed legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to acquire drivers’ licenses. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez has also voiced his support for the idea, which has already been backed by Governor Andrew Cuomo. Supporters of the proposal argue that it while it would not give them the right to vote, it would make the lives of undocumented immigrants much easier. Those who oppose it say that it undermines the importance of obtaining citizenship. A few states already allow illegal immigrants to get drivers’ licenses.

 

INDIA – Gujarat man moves High Court for the Mercy killing of his daughter

A Gujarat man has issued a petition seeking the mercy killing of his 23-year-old daughter, who suffers from cerebral palsy, an incurable disease that disrupts brain development. The man seeks direction from the appropriate authorities to end the “miserable life” of his daughter. He says her medical condition is deteriorating daily, that she suffers from seizures and has troubles with walking, speaking, moving, seeing and hearing, among other things. He also claims that doctors see no possible recovery for his daughter and that she will have to live with her condition all her life.

 

INDIA – National media slammed by High Court for not covering Pollachi sexual assault

Delhi-based media outlets were criticized by the Madras High Court for not covering the sexual assault of a student in Pollachi. The court took note of the fact that media houses overlooked vicious crimes in rural areas, and made fierce remarks against national media. Legal experts compared the Pollachi case to the Nirbhaya case and blasted the media for not giving the Pollachi case as much attention as they did to the Dehli rape. The media has been criticized in the past for not giving issues in the south as much dedication as they did to issues in New Delhi, Mumbai or other places in the north.

 

CANADA – New law means custody disputes and family separation are to be handled outside courtrooms

On Tuesday new legislation was released that made it mandatory for most common law-partners in Winnipeg to use a new dispute resolution service, rather than a courtroom, to resolve disagreements. This is part of a three-year pilot project. Married couples will still have to go to federal court to file for divorce, but can resolve any conflict under the pilot project based in Winnipeg. Justice Department officials said the Family Modernization Act was the first of its kind in Canada.

 

AMERICA – California Governor signs order that halts state’s death penalty for the time being

In a bold statement that is meant to keep California at the forefront of criminal justice, Governor Gavin Newsom will sign an executive order that places a moratorium on the death penalty in the state. With 737 inmates currently on death row in the golden state, California has the largest death row population in the country. The Democrat’s order will, however, immediately shut down the execution chamber in San Quentin State Prison and do away with the state’s lethal injection protocol. The decision was face opposition from President Trump, who claimed Newsom was “defying voters”.

 

AMERICA – College admissions investigation rekindles questions over Kushner’s Harvard acceptance

A new focus has been placed on how President Donald Trump’s son-in-law got accepted into Harvard after the college admissions investigation led to charges against 50 people, which included CEOs and famous Hollywood Celebrities.  As part of the 2006 book titled “The Price Of Admission” written by Daniel Golden, Jared Kushner’s entrance into the Ivy League School was brought under scrutiny. The book says that the affluent buy their children’s admissions into prestigious schools with large donations and claims that Jared’s father, Charles Kushner, made such a donation to Harvard in 1998.