Analysis

Who should exercise control over tribunals: the Executive or the Judiciary?

Justice Sinha's judgment set an important precedent for the use of the 'last seen' theory in criminal law, upholding the standard of proof.

DESK BRIEF: While the Court hears petitions regarding the alleged use of Pegasus, it first heard a similar case of phone-tapping in 1997.

In August nine judges were appointed to the Supreme Court. Hearings also began in the Pegasus case. Justices Nariman and Sinha retired.

On August 29th 2021 it was announced that physical hearings would resume in the Supreme Court for a limited number of cases.

The judiciary appoints its own judges - a common source of conflict with the executive. But what does the process entail?

The Supreme Court bench has the highest number of women ever, maximum judges from the Bombay and Delhi High Courts and mostly Hindu judges.

The appointments include three women and one advocate directly elevated from the Bar. B.V. Nagarathna is likely to be the first woman CJI.