Karnataka HC’s justice Bhaktavatsala loses plate of family law matters listed before him, after outrage over some of his remarks made orally in a divorce matter. Other matters listed before him remain with him. The changes will come into effect from tomorrow. Bhaktavatsala had effectively told a defendant in a divorce matter that it was fine for her husband to beat her as long as he was supporting her financially [Hindustan Times]

BCI allows review petition of Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana election for chairman. It orders continuation of the 21 and 22 December elections for 25 member-posts in the state bar council. 13 elected members of the state bar council (SBC) had earlier submitted a representation that the SBC had resolved to prepare photo electoral rolls, because some dead member continued to be mentioned on the electoral rolls. Pursuant to the representation BCI stayed the SBC’s elections for six months, and ordered the photo electoral rolls to be made [Express, Day and Night News]

Expert US IP lawyer Bob Kohn filed his amicus curiae brief representing Apple and others in the form of a comic strip, after being faced with a five-page word limit ordered by the judge. He used the font and styles as prescribed by court rules. Kohn was defending Apple and five other e-book publishers against US justice department’s allegations of conspiracy on the part of the publishers to address Amazon’s low e-book pricing. “It’s impossible to tell a complex story in only five pages,” reads one speech bubble in the comic. Kohn lost the case. “Kohn’s comic strip is intended to reach beyond the courtroom,” said the chairman of Publisher’s Weekly [ABA Journal]

SC upholds life sentence of a man convicted 25 years after killing five persons. The court held that delay in deciding criminal cases cannot be a ground for quashing them. It also held that the testimony of an eye-witness cannot be discarded just because the witness was related to the deceased victim [PTI]