-EPW   Will the blatant discrimination against Muslims in the administration of justice ever end? The word secular was inserted into the Preamble of the Indian Constitution by the 42nd amendment in 1976; later on, the Supreme Court, in S R Bommai vs Union of India, held (in 1994) that secularism was an integral part of the basic structure of the Constitution. And yet, it has been a long time coming – Indian...

The first judgment in a 2002 riots case and the SIT report on the Ishrat Jahan killing go against the Gujarat government. THE verdict in a crucial and long-running case involving a massacre and the investigation report in another case, of alleged encounter killings, both delivered in November, give hope to victims of the 2002 pogrom in Gujarat that they will get justice, even if delayed. In the first case, the special...

-The Hindu   Every award of a lok adalat, including an order recording a settlement between the parties in a ‘cheque bouncing case' under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, is deemed a civil court decree, and as such it is executable by a civil court, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday. A Bench of Justices P. Sathasivam and J. Chelameswar said: “Section 21 of the Legal Services Authorities Act does not...

-The Indian Express   The Cabinet today approved the Companies Bill 2011 which, once approved by Parliament, will replace half-a-century-old Act. "The Cabinet has cleared Companies Bill, 2011. It is likely to be tabled (for consideration and passage) in the ongoing Winter Session," a Corporate Affairs Ministry official said after the Cabinet meeting. The Bill, which has already been vetted by the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Finance and also by different ministries, seeks to...

-The Economic Times   The Supreme Court has asked courts to send accused persons to jail only after conviction. In a landmark judgement on bail, which will have a major impact on the several thousands of undertrials languishing in various jails, the Supreme Court on Monday said denial of bail to an accused for an indefinite period impinged on the Fundamental Right to life and personal liberty.  "The courts owe more than verbal...