Current Legal Affairs
- NPR is needed, data collected may or may not be used for an NRC, says Law Minister
- The Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that a “proper legal process” will be followed for a nation-wide National Register of Citizens (NRC).
- It will include consultation with the state governments, and that “some” data collected for the National Population Register (NPR) “may or may not be used” for the NRC.
- Court returns Musharraf’s plea against his conviction due to winter vacations
- The Lahore High Court has returned Pakistan’s former military dictator Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s application.
- It challenged the death sentence handed to him by a special court in a high treason case.
- Non-availability of the full bench due to winter vacations was cited as the reason behind such an action.
- Herbal hookahs not completely prohibited: Delhi HC
- Delhi High Court has stayed police’s move to ban all types of hookahs.
- It clarified that those without tobacco or nicotine (herbal) are not completely prohibited.
- The court underlined that smoking means smoking of tobacco in any form or with the aid of any instrument.
- This definition is provided in The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA), 2003
- Court: Drafting health plea shows Indrani mentally fit
- A special CBI court rejected Sheena Bora murder accused IndraniMukerjea’s plea for bail on health grounds.
- It observed that she had drafted her bail application and enumerated several grounds supporting her contention.
- It indicated that she was mentally fit despite her medical ailments.
- BJP in J&K opposes HC job offers for ‘outsiders’, contends further alienation of Kashmiris
- Jammu & Kashmir BJP and other mainstream parties opposed the move to throw open jobs in the newly formed Union Territory to aspirants from across the country.
- J&K high court had issued a recruitment notice,inviting applications for 33 non-gazetted posts from candidates across India following the nullification of Articles 370 and 35A.
- This is the first time in the Valley that eligibility for any government job isn’t limited to “permanent residents” of Kashmir and Ladakh.
- Of the 33 advertised posts, as many as 17 are in the “OM (open merit)” category, which means anyone from outside J&K can be selected for those.
- New UK rules come into effect allowing mixed-sex couples to opt for civil partnership rather than get married
- England and Wales have marked a new era in which heterosexual couples can choose to have a civil partnership instead of a marriage.
- The change, mandated by Britain’s Supreme Court last year, took effect on 31st Dec, 2019.
- The case had been brought by Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan, who were among the first to form a civil partnership under the new rules.
- The new rules mean that mixed-sex couples can opt for a civil partnership that will give them similar rights as married couples.
- It will include marriage allowance tax relief, inheritance tax exemption, and joint parental responsibility for children.
- It is expected to be an attractive option for couples who believe marriage gives men the upper hand and also by couples who don’t want any religious element in their union.
- Taiwan passes law against China influence
- Taiwan passed a controversial bill aimed at countering China’s influence on the self-ruled island, less than two weeks before it goes to the polls to elect a new president.
- The “anti-infiltration bill” pushed by President Tsai Ing-wen’s Beijing-sceptic ruling party became law despite opposition from the Kuomintang party.
- It bans “hostile” foreign forces from activities such as campaigning, making political donations, disrupting social order or spreading disinformation related to polls.
- J&K HC drops job notice
- The J&K high court on evening of 31st Dec, 2019 withdrew its notification inviting applications for 33 non-gazetted posts from aspirants across the country.
- According to sources, the Centre is likely to issue a notification soon to include domicile provision and job quotas for locals.
- Pak govt approves changes in Army Act, likely tied to tenure of Services chiefs
- The Pakistan government approved amendments to the Army Act.
- Nearly four weeks after it assured the Supreme Court of passing a legislation on the extension and reappointment of an army chief within six months.
- Prime Minister Imran Khan had extended army chief General Qamar JavedBajwa’s tenure through a notification on August 19.
- However, on November 26, the Supreme Court suspended the government order, citing irregularities in the manner the army chief was granted an extension.
- On November 28, Bajwa got a six-month conditional extension from the apex court, ending an unprecedented legal wrangle that shook the government and pitted the powerful military against the judiciary.
- Reinstating Mistry will cripple corporate democracy: Tatas in SC
- Tata Sons moved the Supreme Court and sought quashing of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal’s December 18 decision.
- That decision directed the reinstatement of Cyrus Pallonji Mistry as executive chairman.
- Tata Sons’ plea termed NCLAT’s decision a “dangerous precedent” that would cripple corporate democracy.
- Tata Sons, in its petition said NCLAT’s order was gratuitous as none of the appellants — Cyrus Investment or Sterling Investment — had ever sought such a relief.
- Court extends Nirav’s remand, next hearing on January 30
- Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modiwas further remanded in custody at a hearing on 2nd Jan, 2019 and then was asked to appear on January 30.
- He is fighting extradition to India on charges over the nearly $2 billion Punjab National Bank fraud and money laundering case.
- MHA’s JK & Ladakh desk to handle Ayodhya matters
- The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) merged its internal security-I divisionwith internal security-II division.
- Itwas a part of an exercise to reorganise its divisions.
- The merged division will be called “internal security division”.
- Internal security division-I handled matters relating to security clearances, communal harmony and Ayodhya-related court cases.
- Internal security division-II dealt with mutual legal assistance pacts, extradition requests & National Security Act matters.
- Importantly, all files concerning Ayodhya matters and related court judgments will henceforth be put up by the deputy secretary in charge of national integration, a subject matter of internal security-I division, to additional secretary (Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh affairs) through joint secretary (JKL).
- Kerala resolution on CAA has no legal validity: Governor
- Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan said the resolution passed by the state assembly demanding scrapping of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has no legal or constitutional validity.
- The governor said that the citizenship law is purely a central subject and state has no jurisdiction in determining citizenship.
- Interpol issues notice for Ghosn arrest
- Lebanon received an international wanted notice from Interpol for Nissan’s ex-chair Carlos Ghosn.
- It was received four days after he fled Japan to Lebanon to evade trial on financial misconduct charges.
- Ghosn, who is Lebanese and also holds French and Brazilian passports, skipped bail before his much-anticipated trial in Japan, which was to start in April.
- Promoters of NDTV move HC on notice from Sebi
- NDTV promoters Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika approached the Bombay high court to challenge a show-cause notice issued to them in 2018 by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for alleged violations of insider trading rules.
- The markets regulator’s charges relate to the two trading in scrips of news channel NDTV as its promoters.
- SEBI – Chairman: Ajay Tyagi
Founded : 12th April, 1992
Headquarters: Mumbai
- Maharashtra plans tough security law to deal with Naxals
- On the lines of Chhattisgarh, the Maharashtra government is considering the introduction of a Special Public Security Act to “keep a check on the naxal activities” in the state.
- Ethical veganism is a belief protected by law: UK Judge
- A British judge ruled that ethical veganism is a philosophical belief and is protected under anti-discrimination laws.
- Judge determined that ethical veganism meets the tests required to be a philosophical belief and is therefore protected under the Equality Act 2010.
- Ethical vegans follow a vegan diet but also exclude animal-derived products such as wool and leather from their daily lives.
- Meaning of vegan: A person who does not eat or use any animal products.
- Ratan Tata, trustees move SC against NCLAT judgment on Cyrus Mistry
- After Tata Sons, Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Group, has moved Supreme Court (SC) in his personal capacity.
- He is challenging the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal’s (NCLAT’s) decision to reinstate Cyrus Pallonji Mistry as the chairman of Tata Sons.
- TCS and Tata Tele Services also moved SC, challenging certain portions of the judgment.