GK/Current Affairs for Judiciary ( 2nd-8th May 2020)

  • 116 benches of SC heard 835 matters during lockdown
    • A total of the 116 benches of the Supreme Court heard matters during 22 days of hearing between March 23 and May 1.
    • This was being done once lockdown rules entailing court hearings via video-conferencing were put in practice by the apex court.
    • The court resorted to limited hearings via video-conferencing during this time.
  • HC declines to pass orders against DDCA ombudsman
    • The Delhi High Court had decided not to pass any interim order to either remove the DDCA ombudsman or curtail his authority regarding affairs of the state cricket unit or its members.
    • The judge declined to pass any order on a plea seeking to restrain ombudsman Justice (Retd) Deepak Verma from exercising his authority.
  • SC reserves order on pleas on mobile Internet in J&K
    • The Supreme Court reserved its order on petitions demanding that mobile internet speeds be upgraded from 2G to 4G in J&K.
    • The Centre and the Union Territory administration had opposed the demand citing national security concerns.
  • Maharashtra govt moves apex court, says Arnab browbeating investigators
    • The Maharashtra government has approached the Supreme Court.
    • It has accused Arnab Goswami of “browbeating” investigators by “creating fear psychosis”.
    • An FIR was filed against him in connection with a news show on April 21.
    • In the show he has posed questions to Congress President Sonia Gandhi regarding the lynching of the sadhus in Palghar.
    • He is the editor-in-chief of Republic TV.
  • Chawla, key accused in fixing scandal, gets bail
    • Sanjeev Chawla was released from the jail on May 4, 2020.
    • He is the key accused in the 2000 cricket match-fixing scandal.
    • The trial had ordered Chawla’s release on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 2 lakhs with the two sureties of same amount.
    • He got the release as a stay was not put by the High Court on trial’s court April 30 order.
  • Can’t create work like this: SC on COVID PILs
    • Several coronavirus related petitions are being filed in the Supreme Court since the lockdown began on March 24.
    • Lawyers themselves are appearing as the petitioners.
    • The top court observed that the lawyers cannot create work like this in absence of other work and warned of imposing costs.
  • SC rejects plea against lockdown violation FIRs
    • The Supreme Court turned down a PIL filed by former UP Police chief, Vikram Singh.
    • He had sought quashing of FIRs registered under IPC Section 188.
    • It deals with disobedience of orders of a public servant, and other petty offences in wake of the nationwide lockdown and COVID-19.
  • Vacancies in tribunals a perennial problem, attend to it: SC to Govt
    • The Supreme Court quizzed the government over the delay in filling up vacancies in various Tribunals and asked it to “urgently attend to this”.
    • The top court asked so as it extended the tenure of NCDRC member V.K Jain’s tenure by three months.
    • NCDRC: National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. 
  • SC stays Orissa HC order to test migrants before return
    • The Supreme Court stayed an interim order of the Orissa High Court.
    • The HC order had directed the Orissa government to ensure that all the incoming migrants should be tested COVID-19 negative before boarding the conveyance.