Ajoy Karpuram

The Supreme Court held that the Bar Council of India has the power to conduct the bar examination for aspiring lawyers.

The Constitution Bench altered the 2018 guidelines giving effect to ‘Advance Medical Directives’ for terminally ill patients.

The Bench heard arguments for nearly 30 hours over 10 days. Three senior lawyers argued for over half the total time.

What were the key questions answered by the Bench in the Judgement upholding the practice of Jallikattu?

The Supreme Court upheld the practice of Jallikattu, permitted by the 2017 Tamil Nadu Amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

Justice Shah will retire on May 15th, 2023 after a 4-year SC tenure. He has authored the highest number of decisions among sitting Judges.

The petitioners concluded arguments in response to the submissions against the recognition of the right to marry.

Respondents cite the welfare of children and the impact of marriage on society to argue against LGBTQIA+ marriages.

The Bench ordered a public notice to be served to all the respondents so that it could finally hear arguments in the case.

The Union government created a committee to address issues faced by LGBTQIA+ couples.

Union informed the Bench that it would consider making administrative changes to grant certain rights to LGBTQIA+ couples.

The Bench noted the procedural issues raised by the respondents and listed the case for hearing after the summer vacation.

The Union argued that the SC could not address the marriage equality issue without delving into personal law issues.

The Supreme Court in a 3:2 split held that an unstamped arbitration agreement cannot be enforced until the stamp duty has been paid.

The Supreme Court in a 3:2 split held that an unstamped arbitration agreement cannot be enforced until the stamp duty has been paid.

DESK BRIEF: How is the SC managing hearing time in the marriage equality case?

Dr. A.M. Singhvi is expected to conclude arguments and the Bench has asked the petitioners to complete their arguments today.

The Bench provided the framework within which the case would be heard and tentatively allowed the State of Gujarat to file a review.

The Court heard arguments on whether the doctrine is applicable at all under Indian law and heard suggestions on its limits if it is adopted

The Supreme Court quashed the broadcast ban placed on MediaOne TV and cautioned the Union against sealed cover submissions.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the Arbitration and Concilliation Act, 1996 already recognised the doctrine.

DESK BRIEF: CJI Chandrachud's focus on Constitution Bench cases highlights the SC's role as a Constitutional Court.

Advocate Hiroo Advani claimed former CJI Ramana's concerns about the Doctrine were unfounded.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the Governor had a constitutional obligation to call the floor test.

The SC rejected the Unions plea to increase the compensation given to victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.

The Supreme Court modified the process of appointing Election Commission members to secure their independence.

Sr. Adv. N.K. Kaul argued that they formed a rival faction within the same party and did not split from the Shiv Sena.

Mr. Sibal argued that the Shinde faction only held a legislative majority and must be disqualified for disregarding party instructions.

The Bench took Advocate A.K. Upadhyay to task for making flawed oral and written submissions.

The Constitution Bench will consider referring the case while simultaneously hearing substantial arguments from the parties.

The Thackaray faction argued that the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena flipped their stance once the question of reference was raised.

Sr. Adv. Salve argued that the Nabam Rebia decision did not apply while Sr. Adv. Kaul argued that it was a correct position of law.

The Constitution Bench upheld the Bar Council's power to conduct exams for lawyers before they can argue in court.

DESK BRIEF: The judge appointment and BBC documentary disputes saw major developments leading up to the inaugural SC Foundation Day event

The Bench observed that the petitions tagged together dealt with different issues and should be heard separately.

The SC modified its 2018 guidelines to make the right to die with dignity more accessible for persons suffering from terminal illnesses.

The SC will decide if the emergence of new facts justifies the Union's plea to increase compensation granted to Bhopal Gas Tragedy victims.

The Constitution Bench delivered the Order immediately after finalising the changes proposed by the ISCC and the Union.

The Constitution Bench stated that there was a lack of clarity on the Union government's position in the case.

Sr. Adv. Arvind Datar suggested several changes to streamline the process of refusing treatment for patients with terminal illnesses.

Senior Advocate Arvind Datar argued that the process for implementing 'Advance Medical Directives' faces multiple obstacles.

The 5-Judge Constitution Bench led by Justice Kaul finished hearing all parties and reserved Judgment in the case.

The Attorney General argued that the human tragedy involved in the case justified the SC's intervention in the case.

The SC heard arguments about whether there are sufficient legal grounds to revisit the official settlement from the Bhopal Gas tragedy.

The SC ruled that the Freedom of Speech of public officials cannot be restricted on grounds outside of Article 19(2) of the Constitution.

Despite being a part of 10 Constitution Benches, Justice Nazeer did not author a Judgment in any of the cases.

The Bench held that public officials' Freedom of Speech cannot be restricted by other fundamental rights claims.

The most important Freedom of Speech cases at the Supreme Court were characterised by the Union's inability to follow the Court's directions

In 2022, the Supreme Court delivered important Judgments on reservations, religious freedoms, freedom of speech and more.

The Constitution Bench led by Justice Nazeer held that public officials can be convicted for bribery without direct evidence.

The Constitution Bench led by Justice Nazeer held that public officials can be convicted for bribery without direct evidence.

Multiple Senior Advocates challenging Jallikattu responded to the arguments of the various State governments.

Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi argued that Culture was a basis for exemption under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act

CJI Lalit retired at the beginning of November 2022, but the Constitution Bench listed during his term continued to be heard.

The case raises a number of questions about whether animals have rights and if the rules for Jallikattu contain sufficient safeguards.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the State of Tamil Nadu, argued that the Amendment ensures Jallikattu is monitored and safe.

Two Benches of the Supreme Court heard petitions challenging the Places of Worship Act and forced religious coversions.

A long drawn PIL has prevented Centre from permitting Genetically Modified mustard to be cultivated commercially since 2004.

CJI Lalit was a member of multiple Constitution Bench decisions including on the day of his retirement.

Major cases seemingly made little progress in October while the SC’s long series of retirements continued.

The Hijab Ban case is set to continue at the SC after the 2-Judge Bench delivered a split verdict in October. What's the story so far?

What are the possible outcomes in the challenge to economic reservations and how will the Court substantiate its Judgment?

Justice Chandrachud regularly explores academic and popular sources and seeks to set aside ‘formal’ legal traditions.

Justices Shah and Trivedi suspended the Bombay HC's Order, stating it did not deal with the merits of the case against Prof. Saibaba.

SCO recaps Justice Hemant Gupta's life, career, judgments, and overall tenure at the Supreme Court.

The Bench briefly heard submissions on the issues they must consider in the case and settled a debate on the date of the next hearing.

Justice Hemant Gupta authored impactful Judgments in criminal law cases and a controversial Judgment on his penultimate day at the SC.

The Bench may refer the case to the 9-Judge Sabarimala Review Bench instead of hearing arguments.

What were the issues and the arguments raised on both sides in the challenge to reservations based on economic criteria?

A Bench led by Justice Chandrachud held that unmarried women have the same right as married women to terminate a pregnancy.

Justice Nazeer commented that the two cases before them may no longer contain any issues for the Bench to address.

Another Constitution Bench created during CJI Lalit's tenure will hear cases on reservations, citizenship, and political disputes.

The Court concluded hearing arguments in the challenge to the constitutionality of economic reservations.

On September 27th the Supreme Court will fulfill its commitment and live stream three Constitution Bench proceedings to the public

The Bench heard arguments from the Union and Andhra Pradesh governments defending EWS Reservations.

The Constitution Bench heard arguments from the Union and Madhya Pradesh governments defending economic reservations.

The Supreme Court heard arguments in favor of EWS reservations from the petitioners and the Union government.

The Supreme Court held that the Judgment referring this case to a Constitution Bench was 'incompetent' and sent it back to a smaller bench.

The Supreme Court held that a unanimous Judgment did not have more precedential value than a Judgment where one of the Judges dissented.

Mr. Sondhi claimed the Hijab ban violates the fundamental rights of Muslim women. Prof. Kumar argues EWS Reservations violate Equality Code.

Last month the SC saw a change in leadership and major institutional developments in the Court.

The CJI Ramana-led Collegium made more recommendations for HC appointments than his three predecessors.

CJI Ramana's rate of authoring judgments only saw a negligible drop when he became Chief Justice of India.

DESK BRIEF: Six pending Constitution Bench cases at the SC deal with fundamental questions about reservation in education and employment.

The issue of sub-classification in reservations has been pending before a 7-Judge Constitution Bench for nearly two years without a hearing.

The tussle for control of the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and Justice Khanwilkars last Judgment took center stage at the SC in July.

Despite SC Judgments to the contrary, it remains difficult for an accused to get bail from lower courts.

Justice Khanwilkar wrote a number of impactful Judgments including a flurry of decisions delivered at the end of his 6-year tenure.

CPI(M) Member of Parliament, John Brittas emphasised the need to subject security agencies to increased oversight in light of Pegasus.

A journalist, Mr. Rupesh Kumar, claims the Union spied on him and his family because of pieces he wrote regarding false encounters.

Mr. N. Ram spoke about the threat to journalistic sources posed by Pegasus and criticised the Technical Committee’s method of examination

The Constitution of India bans members of the House from defecting from their political party.

One month into summer vacation, the SC continued to pass important judgments in 'urgent' and pending matters

On January 31st the Supreme Court clarified the criteria for States to provide reservations in promotions.

Sitting Judges in the SC, on average, serve shorter tenures in comparison to Judges appointed between 1950-1980.

The SC's long season of judicial retirements continues with Justice L.N. Rao's term ending on June 7th. SCO reviews his tenure in numbers.

Halfway through the year a number of important cases are pending and in the process of being heard at the Supreme Court.

The Court will see Judges retiring every month up until November 2022—which may bode poorly for the 70,000 cases pending at the SC.

The Supreme Court delivered key Judgments on Reservations, Sedition, OROP and the constitutionality of the FCRA Amendment.

Sr. Adv. Trideep Pais and Adv. Sanya Kamar further argued that portions of statements against Mr. Khalid were identical to each other.

The SC permitting a survey of Gyanvapi mosque may contradict its views on contested places of worship in the 2019 Ayodhya Judgment.

The Delhi High Court is keen to bring the hearings to a close before June 4th, when the Court breaks for vacation.

The Supreme Court and the Union Government reached an impasse over the subject of appointment and service conditions of tribunal members.

The Supreme Court focused on the data behind reservation policies and laid down conditions to justify reservations.

The Supreme Court addressed the rights of Rohingya refugees and admitted a challenge to restrictions placed on OCIs by the Government.

The Supreme Court used principles of intersectionality, indirect discrimination and reasonable accommodation in their decisions in 2021.

The Farm Laws saga has left multiple questions to be answered by the Court, despite the laws being repealed.

Desk Brief: The total number of pending cases in the Supreme Court increased in 2021 for the fourth year in a row.

The Supreme Court addressed a plethora of possible threats to the freedom of speech and expression of the press this year.

The Supreme Court intervened to provide relief to citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic, often by exercising their suo-moto powers.

Since March 2020 the majority of translated SC judgments were Service and Ordinary Civil Law Matters.

CJI Ramana and Bopanna J cautioned against rampantly using PMLA to arrest individuals.

The Court's emphasis on data in the AIQ-NEET Case is consistent with their previous demands for data in reservations cases.

A curated set of ‘must reads’ surrounding the events of the Gujarat riots, the investigations that followed and their fallout.

DESK BRIEF: After the farm laws repeal, will the SC make it harder for protests to make a significant impact?

The Supreme Court has translated only 31 judgments since March 1st 2020 and is translating them into fewer languages.

The Supreme Court gave the Union Government two weeks to return with possible solutions for providing disability access in online classes.

We discuss the Supreme Court's engagements with the farmers' right to protest in the context of the Heckler's Veto principle.

The Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 is currently being challenged in the Supreme Court. Here are some related must reads.

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

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

While the primary criteria for SC appointments has always been seniority, some argue that gender should also be an important consideration.

Justice Navin Sinha retired on August 18th, 2021. He wrote 126 judgments as a Supreme Court judge during his four year tenure.

Justice Nariman authored 307 judgments during his 7 year tenure at the SC. What were the trends that made them stand out?

Nariman J clarified the scope of reservation in promotions for SC/ST's and Persons with Disability (PwDs).

The Supreme Court committed to devising a livestream system for courts in 2018. This commitment has seen some new developments during 2020.

The Supreme Court comprises judges from High Courts across the country, but how balanced is this representation?

Section 66A was declared unconstitutional, but continues to be used to arrest people. Here are some must reads on the issue.

COVID-19 has drastically affected the functioning of the SCI. A year into the pandemic, what do the numbers look like?

Over the last 21 years, the average tenure of Supreme Court judges has increased by 282 days.

In June 2021, the Supreme Court issued important directions related to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We discuss the recent COVID Board Exam hearings and the schemes enacted by the CBSE and ICSE for the evaluation of Class 10, 11 and 12.

We have curated a set of must-reads that examine the practices of the Election Commission in recent times and its interaction with the SC.

The Court has 48 Constitution Benches which are hearing 396 cases. The rate of disposal for such matters has reduced during the pandemic.

During COVID-19, the Court has gone beyond its adversarial role, taking on the role of rights-based forum and 'nudging' governments.

We examine the average High Court tenure of the current sitting judges.

The Bench ruled that West Bengal's WB-HIRA was virtually identical to the Central RERA. So, it was struck down for repugnancy.

There should be reasons for a summons trial, and testimony through affidavit is allowed. Multiple offences may be tried jointly.

SC cautions High Courts to not use their inherent powers on 'whim and caprice' while issuing 'no coercive steps' orders to police.

We remember Justice Shantanagoudar’s judicial career by statistically looking at his term in the Supreme Court.

SCO's Judgment Matrix breaks down the Judgment, listing the opinion of each Judge on each issue deliberated by the Bench.