constitutional law

The coalition led by NCP leader P A Sangma in Meghalaya failed to get a relief in the Supreme Court which refused to interfere with Governor S S Sidhu's decision to swear in a Congress-led Government. A plea by the NCP-led Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) for advancing the floor test before 20th March for the D D Lapang government was also rejected by the apex court which said that "extre..

The Supreme Court has cautioned judges against treating anonymous letters as PILs and asked them to be vigilant against unscrupulous elements who abuse the judicial process for vested interest through such petitions. "In our view, the public interest litigant must disclose his identity so as to enable the court to decide that the informant is not a wayfarer or officious intervener without any..

A bill seeking to exempt five states from the exercise to redraw constituencies was approved by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday night amid acknowledgment by government that there were "some mistakes". Law Minister H R Bhardwaj said the government has gone by consensus as it could only accept or reject the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission. Referring to all-round complaints from membe..

NCP leader P A Sangma moved the Supreme Court challenging the Meghalaya Governor's decision to invite Congress to form the government in the state. Mentioning Sangma's petition before a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, senior advocate Soli Sorabjee claimed that though the NCP-led Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) had the support of 31 of the 60-member House, the Governor has i..

A Bill seeking to increase allocation of parliamentary and assembly seats for scheduled castes and tribes in the country in the wake of the delimitation exercise was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill 2008 was introduced by Law and Justice Minister H R Bhardwaj. The Bill also seeks to enable the Election Commission to conduct delimitati..

A proposal to increase the retirement age of the Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts by three years is under examination of the Government. As regards increase in the retirement age of District/Subordinate Court Judges, it is the concern of the respective State Governments.This information was given by Minister of Law and Justice, Shri H. R. Bhardwaj in written reply to a quest..

An all-party meet will be convened later this month to make another attempt at evolving a consensus on the much-awaited Women's Reservation Bill, the Centre today said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi said a positive outcome is expected on the passage of the Bill. Addressing a seminar held on International Women's Day today, Dasmunsi said, "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will invi..

The Supreme Court has decided to hear the issue of discharge of untreated sewage into the Ganga posing a cancer threat to people living on its banks. Two applications filed in the apex court pointed to threat of deadly diseases afflicting due to domestic sewage pollution of the Ganga in 36 towns in four states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. The applications pointed o..

The Election Commission will hear on Monday the claims of rival factions of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) to the name of the party following a split in it. Party chief Vaiko and faction leaders L Ganesan and Gingee N Ramachandran had approached the EC and submitted the relevant papers in support of their claim. After hearing the counsels of both factions, the EC would take ..

The Centre has accepted in the Supreme Court that the list of offices exempted from coming under the Office of Profit Act needs to be expanded, a virtual admission of its discriminatory approach on the matter so far. "The Court is right to say exemption should be applied to all authorities equally," the ASG Gopal Subramanium said while responding the queries raised by a Bench headed by the Chie..

With the Left parties and the BJP mounting fresh pressure, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the govt will convene an all-party meeting after 20th March to find political consensus on the Women's Reservation Bill. "Time has come to make yet another effort" to build consensus on the Wormen's Reservation Bill, Singh said in the Rajya Sabha adding he would convene an all-party meeting after..

A proposal to give equal status to all Election Commissioners is part of the electoral reforms which is presently under consideration of a Parliamentary Standing Committee on personnel, public grievances, the Rajya Sabha was informed. Law and Justice Minister H R Bhardwaj said in a reply that the proposal forwarded by the Election Commission is under consideration as part of the electoral ref..

he Supreme Court fixed 15th April to hear the petition against the Sethusamudram project, asking the parties opposing it to file their reply to the fresh affidavit filed by the Centre. A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said that on 15th April it will further decide the date for further hearing on the matter...

The Supreme Court today directed the Centre to place before it the memorandum of procedure for appointment of permanent judges in High Courts as in the last nine years 351 such appointments were made without the approval of the collegium of apex court judges. A Bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat said a "serious question" was involved in the matter as not one but many such appointments had..

New Delhi, Mar 3 (UNI) The Supreme Court today said consultation with the Supreme Court Collegium by the Chief Justice of India is necessary while directing the Centre to file the Memo of Procedure adopted for making additional judges of High Court permanent, by April 10. A bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and P Sadhasivam fixed April 16 as the date of hearing of the petition filed by f..