The Bench and the Bar

The Supreme Court today dismissed former Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan's petition demanding a CBI probe into the Kozhikode ice-cream parlour sex case.

>The Union environment ministry has withdrawn its demand for a Rs 200 crore restoration fund from Adani Ports & SEZ for damage to the environment imposed during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the biggest penalty for green violations.<

The Supreme Court granted another extension of three months to all state bar councils last week, which have been struggling to complete verification of lawyers under the Bar Council of India (BCI) (Certificate of Practice) Rules.

>A PIL was on Friday moved in the Delhi high court seeking to restrain manufacture, supply and sale of 'Godfather' beer in the national capital, saying that it hurt religious sentiments.

Five Madras high court judges met yesterday after the high court’s chief justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul called for the next course of action on the controversial disciplinary rules framed by the high court which have caused the state bar to abstain from courts in protest.

A matrimonial dispute before the Supreme Court saw tempers rising between husband and wife, who argued through their counsel before justices Kurian Joseph and Rohinton Nariman but which resulted in a sudden spark of mirth with an apt observation from Justice Joseph.

"In a series of sting operations spread over 10 days, India Today TV unravelled how several leaders cutting across political lines are ready to stage religious violence for money," reported the Mail , citing the sting by reporters posing as documentary film makers wanting riots to garner publicity for their fictional film.

The PIL titled Dr Naresh Chand Gupta v. New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) and Others (WP civil no 316/2016) was listed (as item no 23) for hearing today in court no 1 of the Supreme Court presided by CJI and Justice Khanwilker.

A two-judge Supreme Court bench on Wednesday declined to hear a fresh petition by high profile celebrities challenging criminalisation of consensual gay and lesbian sex, and the matter was referred to Chief Justice TS Thakur.

The Supreme Court today dismissed a PIL urging it to ask the government to seek the private key from WhatsApp and similar applications to access their contents in times of need.

A case has been filed in a Bihar court against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for insulting the national flag, a lawyer said on Wednesday.

Five celebrity petitioners, who claim to have experienced the wrong end of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code because of their sexual orientation, have sought the Supreme Court's intervention through a writ petition to declare it unconstitutional.

The ongoing row over the allotment of Andhra-origin judges to subordinate courts in Telangana took an even more serious turn today with the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad suspending eight more state judges.

>Madras high court Advocates Association today [27 June] decided to abstain indefinitely from all courts and tribunals from tomorrow [28 June] demanding unconditional withdrawal of recently amended rules to the Advocates Act, which among others provided for disciplinary action against erring lawyers.

Taking serious note of the protest by Telangana state judges, the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad on Monday suspended two judges.

"The Medical Council of India, often in the news for controversial approvals and corruption, is set to be replaced by a medical education commission that will have three independent wings to oversee curriculum, accreditation of colleges and medical ethics," reported the Times of India, if the government's Niti Aayog panel's guidelines are implemented.