India: FIR Filed By Police Is Sufficient To Award Compensation To Accident Victims Or Their Family Members, Supreme Court Says
In a move to bring succor to accident victims and their family members, a bench of the Supreme Court presided over by Justices AM Sapre and Indu Malhotra last week said even though a formal complaint is not filed by accident victims or their family members, a first information report (FIR) filed by the police is sufficient enough to award compensation to survivors or their family members. The court made the remark after hearing an appeal filed by a woman whose husband died instantly in 2013 after a motor accident in Rajasthan. It would be recalled that the Tribunal and state high court had denied her compensation because she didn’t file her petition correctly.
India: Unnecessary Litigation: ‘Out Of 7,676 Court Cases, Armed Forces Withdraws 180 Cases Against Their Own,’ Senior Government Official Says
In a bid to reduce the number of court cases against their officers, the Indian armed forces on Wednesday withdrew about 180 cases out of the over 7,676 cases pending before several courts in the country, a senior government official privy to the development said. The NDA government had asked the armed forces to review the cases against their own and also not to waste resources and time to pursue Court cases against their officers.
UAE: Government Announces New Laws On Carry Medications To Dubai
The UAE government on Wednesday announced that it has unveiled a new law which will streamline the transportation of personal medications into Dubai. The announcement was made by the Minister of Information, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah in a news conference in Dubai. “The government wants a situation whereby tourists would seek approval from the Ministry of health and prevention before landing in the country,” Nkrumah said. Nkrumah said foreign tourists should visit www.mohap.gov.ae to complete an electronic form.
India: CBI Vs CBI Case: Alok Verma’s junior counsel Withdraws From Case
A junior counsel to the CBI Director in the CBI Vs CBI Case before the Supreme Court, Advocate Gopal Shankaranarayanan on Monday withdraws from the case. “It is important that I clear the air on issues surrounding my withdrawal from the case. I tendered my withdrawal letter on Monday even before the hearing on Tuesday. I still maintain a cordial relationship with Alok Verma,” Shankaranarayanan said in a response to the inquiry by the journalist. It would be recalled that only senior advocate Fali Nariman was seen in court to represent Verma.
India: The Central Excise Intelligence Has Jurisdiction Across India And Can Issue Notices Into Service Tax Matters, Delhi HC Says
The Delhi High Court bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Prathiba M Singh on Wednesday said the Central Excise Intelligence has jurisdiction across the country and can issue notices to matters relating to service tax against any person regardless of tribe and race. The court made the remark after rejecting a plea filed by the National Building Construction Corporation Ltd challenging the letter issued by the Director General of the Central Excise Intelligence in 2015 which sought to probe the Additional Director General of the National Building Construction Corporation Ltd in Lucknow zone over service tax evasion.
US: President Trump Tackles Conservative US CJ Over Judiciary
The United States president, Donald Trump on Wednesday tackled the conservative Chief Justice of the United States, John Roberts over the Tuesday’s judgment delivered by a Federal Judge in San Francisco which blocked the president’s move to deny migrants from seeking for asylum. President Trump labeled the Federal Judge as “Obama Judge” and went further to carpet Roberts. However, in a retaliatory move, Roberts said “The US Judiciary does not have “Obama Judge” or “Trump Judge” or “Bush Judge” or “Clinton Judge.” The comment by Roberts is the first public reaction to the attacks launched by the US President.
India: Photojournalist Rape At Shakti Mills: Bombay HC Fixes January 14 To Hear Accused Person Pleas
The Bombay High Court bench of Justices B P Dharmadhikari and Sarang Kotwal on Wednesday fixed the 14th of January 2019 to hear the pleas filed by three accused persons who are on death row over the rape of a photojournalist in 2013 at the Shakti Mills Compound. The court took the decision after having a mutual consent with the accused persons’ lawyers and the state government. The trio of Vijay Jadhav, Kasim Bengali and Salim Ansari had moved the court to quash a death sentence passed on them by a session Court in 2014.
India: District Magistrates Should Not Delay The Recovery Of Public Money From Loan Defaulters, Gujarat High Court Says
A single-judge bench of the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday said it is of national importance for district judges not to delay the process of recovery of public funds from loan defaulters once lenders approach them to recover non-performing assets. The court made the remark after hearing a plea filed by the Bank of Baroda against a loan defaulter, Valsad Collector. The court quashed the order of the Collector and said Section 14 of the Securitisation And Reconstruction Of Financial Assets And Enforcement Of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act was framed to enable creditors to recover public funds from loan defaulters.
Poland: Poland Ruling Political Party Moves To Reinstate Retired Supreme Court Judges
The ruling political party in Poland on Wednesday submitted a draft policy to the country’s parliament in a bid to reinstate some Supreme Court Judges that were recently forced out of office due to a government policy which reduced the retirement age of Judges from 70 to 65. The move by the political party is coming at a time the EU top court ordered the country to immediately suspend the policy of age reduction. According to legal pundits, the reduction of judges retirement age was in flagrant disregard to the country’s constitution.
India: PFCI Moves Madras HC Over Seizure Of ‘Unwholesome’ Meat
A Non-governmental Organization, the People for Cattle in India (PFCI) on Wednesday moved the Madras High Court over the seizure of ‘unwholesome’ meat weighing over 2,100 kg at the Railway Station in Egmore last Saturday. According to the petition filed by PFCI, it wants the court to compel the authorities to pass safety regulations on the transportation of meat meant for consumption. Immediately after the meats were seized, it was sent to the Madras Veterinary College for DNA to ascertain the status of the meat.
US: White House Authorizes The Military To Use Lethal Force At Southern Border
The White House on Wednesday approved a draft policy empowering the military officers deployed to work at the country’s Southern border to use lethal force where necessary. The White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly signed the approval on Wednesday for the government. According to legal pundits who are privy to the development, the move by the White House may run afoul of the country’s law which bars the military from operating at the border.
US: Federal Judge Struck Down Law Against Female Genital Mutilation
A Federal Judge in the United States, Bernard Friedman on Tuesday struck down the Female Genital Mutilation Act, 1996 which banned female genital mutilation and also dismissed several charges brought against two defendants under the Act. Friedman said the Act violated both proper and necessary clauses of the Constitution. Friedman also asserted that the defendants are not entirely off the hook and would still face prison terms.
Canada: Discrimination: Canadian Law School First Female Indigenous Dean Sues Lakehead University, Seeks $2.67 million in damages
The first female indigenous Dean at the Lakehead University Law School in Canada, Angelique EagleWoman last week filed a lawsuit against the management of the University at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. EagleWoman was appointed as the Dean of the Law School in May 2016 and in June of the same year, she resigned her position for alleged discrimination. EagleWoman contended that the University management created an unfavorable working environment for her not to succeed in her role as the Dean. She demanded a compensation of $2.67 million from the University’s management.
UK: A Law Change To Prevent “Predatory Marriages” Would Protect Adults That Are Vulnerable, Labour MP Says
A Labour MP, Fabian Hamilton on Wednesday said a law change that would prevent predatory marriages would help protect vulnerable adults and their immediate families. Hamilton made the remark at the floor of the House of Commons while presenting a private member bill tagged “Marriage and Civil Partnership (Consent) Bill. He shared a story of his constituent to buttress his point. Predatory marriages mean leading someone into a marriage when she doesn’t have the mental capacity to consent.
