Today’s Legal Updates:

  1. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has approached the Supreme Court opposing the petition seeking uniform grounds for divorce in the country regardless of faith, personal laws, caste, creed, etc. The Muslim rights body has argued that personal laws cannot be tested on the anvil of Articles 14, 15. 21 and 44 of the Constitution and has sought impleadment in the petition filed by BJP spokesperson and advocate, Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeking uniform grounds for divorce.
  2. On Friday The Supreme Court bench of Justices Nageswara Rao and Ravindra Bhat issued notice to Election Commission of India on a plea by Congress leader DD Thaisii seeking directions to the poll body to give its opinion to Governor of Manipur regarding the disqualification of twelve members of the Manipur Legislative Assembly.
  3. The Supreme Court will soon begin hearings via hybrid mode where the option to appear in the physical courts either physically or virtually will be at the option of the party (AOR/Advocate/Party in Person).
  4. On Friday The Karnataka High Court directed the Karnataka State Law University (KSLU) to take a decision on whether it would conduct final year exams for 3-year LL.B course for odd semester alone.
  5. On Friday The Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) informed the Karnataka High Court that it has identified 886 vulnerable children selling products at traffic signals from 432 hotspots.
  6. Justice Pushpa Ganediwala, the author of a slew of controversial judgments on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, today took oath as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court for one more year.
  7. Recently The Madras High Court ruled that the salaries drawn by an employee prior to the commission of alleged money laundering activities by a company would not constitute the proceeds of a crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
  8. The Allahabad High Court has sought the response of the Central government in a plea for the establishment of a regional bench of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) at Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.
  9. The Supreme Court of India has dismissed the review petition challenging its October 2020 verdict on Shaheen Bagh protests reiterating its stand that prolonged protests cannot be at the cost of continued occupation of public spaces affecting the rights of others.
  10. On Friday the Madras High Court said People who misuse political clout to grab land or demand money citing election expenses, pose a direct challenge to democracy andsuch activities must be crushed with iron hands.
  11. Guidelines Needed To Ensure Ethical Treatment Of Animals Even If They Are Raised For Human Consumption: Madras High Court
  12. Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 Passed By Parliament
  13. Corruption Like A Termite Or A Poisonous Snake Which Has Penetrated Deeply Into Our Systems: Gujarat High Court
  14. French Civil Code Continues To Apply To Descendants Of ‘Renouncants’ In Pondicherry In Marriage, Divorce Matters : Karnataka High Court
  15. Formulate Draft Guidelines For Facilitating Compensation Disbursement Process And Expedition Of Cases Before MACT: SC To Insurance Company
  16. Haryana High Powered Committee Orders Re-admission Of 2,580 Convicts Released Earlier
  17. Animals Are Guaranteed Right To Get Protection From Human Beings Inflicting Unnecessary Pain Or Suffering : Karnataka High Court
  18. Justice PV Sanjay Kumar Of the Punjab & Haryana High Court Appointed As Chief Justice Of Manipur High Court.
  19. The Supreme Court issued notice to the Andhra Pradesh government on a petition seeking contempt action against its state officials for notifying Panchayat polls in three “disputed area” villages controlled by Odisha.
  20. The Supreme Court issued notice to the government and Twitter on a petition asking for a mechanism to check fake news and hate messages, seditious and incendiary content on Twitter and other social media platforms.
  21. A Bombay High Court additional judge, who had delivered two controversial verdicts in sexual assault cases, was on Friday (12.02.21) given a fresh one-year term as an additional judge, instead of two years as recommended by the Supreme Court collegium.
  22. The Supreme Court observed that more clarity and certainty has to be brought in the Mutual Fund Regulations.
  23. The Bombay High Court, on Friday (12.02.21), adjourned to March 5 the petitions by ARG Outlier media, which owns Republic TV, and its editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami challenging the Mumbai Police’s investigation in the Television Rating Points (TRP) Scam. The state continued its statement not to take coercive action against the petitioners, till then.
  24. The grant of leave as contemplated by Section 320(5) of the Code of Criminal Procedure is not automatic nor it has to be mechanical on receipt of request by the accused which may be agreed by the victim, the Supreme Court observed.
  25. The Supreme Court on Friday (12.02.21) sought for the response of the State of Andhra Pradesh in a contempt plea filed by the State of Odisha alleging that the former had taken over certain villages belonging to the former in violation of an order of the Apex Court.
  26. A public interest litigation has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the Delhi High-Powered Committee (HPC), which last assembled on 14.01.2021, to take appropriate measures for the vaccination of under-trial prisoners (UTPs) and convicts who were granted interim bail in the wake of the Covid-19 contagion, in terms of the criteria set by a Division Bench of the Delhi High Court vide order dated 23.03.2020.
  27. Supreme Court : The right to protest cannot be anytime and everywhere. There may be some spontaneous protests but in case of prolonged dissent or protest, there cannot be continued occupation of public place affecting rights of others. [REVIEW PETITION (CIVIL) Diary No(s). 24552/2020]
  28. The Constitutional Bench of the Apex Court held that “… mere absence of doctor’s certification as to the fitness of the declarant’s state of mind would not ipso facto render the dying declaration unacceptable.”
  29. Kerala High Court : “”Right to live in a healthy and clean atmosphere and right to get protection from human beings against inflicting unnecessary pain or suffering is a right guaranteed to the animals under Section 3 and Section 11 of the PCA Act read with Article 51- A(g) and (h) of the Constitution of India”

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