India: Centre Writes West Bengal Government Over Real Estate Law
The Central government on Wednesday through its Housing Secretary, D S Misra wrote a letter to the authorities in West Bengal, appealing for a repeal of its version of the real estate law in order not to cause confusion for both builders and home buyers. A group, the pan-Indian home buyers Association over the years has been campaigning for the State to repeal its Housing and Industrial Regulation Act, citing resemblance with the Centre’s RERA. In the letter the Centre said, “similar laws on real estate will create huge confusion and hence for the sake of transparency and clarity, the state government should adopt the central law.” However, the country’s constitution clearly states that in such situation, the Centre will prevail.
India: Foreign Bribery: India Among Countries With Little Or No Enforcement
A report released by an Anti-corruption Organization, Transparency Internation on Wednesday has it that India is one of the four countries with little or no enforcement against foreign bribery. The report cited an alleged bribery case by foreign companies, including the helicopter deal by an Italian-based firm, AgustaWestland. The report concluded with an advice to the Indian government to consider introducing legislation that would protect whistleblowers in the private sector, as well as criminalize foreign bribery practice.
Canada: PM Cautions Canadians Over The Recreational Use Of Marijuana
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau on Wednesday cautioned Canadians over the recreational use of marijuana, saying marijuana consumption could have a serious implication when crossing the border to the US. The PM gave the caution during an interview he granted to pressmen on CBC Manitoba hours before he visited Winnipeg. In Canada, the use of recreational marijuana will become official on October 17.
India: Calcutta High Court To Hear Petition On Senior Lawyers
The Calcutta high court on Wednesday expressed readily to entertain petitions against a policy that prohibits legal practitioners from becoming senior lawyers unless they practice in the High Court. A lawyer, Debasish Roy had challenged the Calcutta High Court Guidelines clauses 11 and 14 at the Supreme Court, which the apex Court bench of Justices Navin Sinha, Ranjan Gogoi, and K M Joseph directed him to file his grievances at the high court first. Roy submitted in his petition that “when there is no embargo against trial court lawyers from being promoted as judges of the high court, then barring them from becoming senior advocates does not fulfill the objective of Section 16(2) of the Advocates Act.”
India: Kerala Flood: Lawyers, Judges Display Nice Gesture Towards Victim
In recent history, Kerala, a southern state ravaged by flood has been in the news. Victims of the Kerala flood have received aid both in cash and kind from lawyers and judges. This may not be unconnected to the appeal made by the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. First set of aid-givers were 25 Supreme Court judges, who gave Rs. 25,000 each, followed by the Attorney General Rs. 10 million donations, as well as his son Krishnan who also donated Rs. 1.5 million. It didn’t stop there, donations have been pouring in from every angle with a view to giving relief to the affected flood victims.
EU To Adopt Laws That Could Ban Memes
The European Union on Wednesday voted massively on laws that could censor the internet and ban memes. Those against the policy are of the view that the law could stop people from sharing copyrighted videos or images on the internet, as well as force Internet giants like Google, YouTube, and Microsoft to pay publishers for displaying memes on stories.
India: Criminal Cases Against Legislators: SC To Monitor Special Courts’ Proceedings
The Supreme Court bench led by Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Wednesday expressed readiness to start monitoring the proceedings of the special courts created by some states to fast-track the prosecution of criminal cases against legislators. The decision of the Supreme Court was informed after the Law Ministry informed it of the setting up of 12 different special courts by some states to fast-track the trial of alleged legislators. The Supreme Court sought to know the number of cases that would be referred to the special courts from the high court registrars-general and the state chief secretaries before October 10.
India: Road Rage Case: SC To Review Its 1998 Judgement Against Navjot Singh Sidhu
The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed readiness to review its judgment on road rage case it passed in 1998 involving Congress leader, Navjot Singh Sidhu. The family of Sidhu had filed a petition for the court to review its earlier judgment of which Sidhu was acquitted. The apex court has accepted to review the judgment and hence issued a notice to the Congress leader to respond on the issue.
USA: President Trump Signs New Order On Election Matters
The United States president, Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a new sweeping order which authorized the country to sanction any foreign country that attempts to meddle in its elections. This was made known by the US National Security Adviser, John Bolton during a security briefing. Bolton said that “the law would be a broad effort to prevent foreign manipulation of the political process.”
India: SC Stays RBI’s New Norms On Stressed Assets
The Supreme Court bench of Justices RF Nariman and Indu Malhotra on Wednesday stayed the Reserve Bank of India’s circular asking banks to initiate insolvency proceedings on companies in the power, sugar, shipping, and textile sector that seemed destined for bankruptcy. The case was brought before the court by several professional groups in the aforementioned sectors. The bench directed that all the 12 related cases should be transferred to the court. RBI had through a circular directed lender “to finalize a resolution plan in case of a default on large accounts of Rs 2,000 crore and above within 180 days, failing which insolvency proceedings have to be invoked against the defaulter.”
India: Rise In Fuel Prices: High Court Refuses To Pass Order On PIL
The Delhi High Court bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao on Wednesday refused to pass an order on a PIL filed by a Delhi-based designer, Puja Mahajan who sought the court’s intervention on the rising fuel prices in the country. The court in its judgment after hearing the PIL refused to grant the petitioner’s request and said that the issue of fuel price is a national policy, hence may have ramifications if it gives its order.
Singapore: Marital Rape Case: It Is Cumbersome Proving Lack Of a Consent, Lawyer Says
A criminal lawyer, Mr. Ramesh Tiwary on Wednesday said that it would be very challenging proving that a rape victim didn’t consent to the act in marital rape cases, pointing to the intimacy that comes with marriage. A review committee charged with the responsibility of reviewing the penal code to abolish marital immunity for rape had been set up on September 9. However, the lawyer told journalists during an interview that the committee’s effort might be futile in view of the intimacy that comes with marriage.
India: Bombay High Court Seeks Report On Steps Taken To Curb Illegal Pandals
The Bombay high court bench of Justices A S Oka and M S Sonak on Wednesday sought the action report on steps taken to curb illegal pandals in Mumbai by the Maharashtra government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ahead of the Ganesh festival which starts on Thursday. The court decision was informed after hearing some petitioners’ pleas against illegal pandals erection. There are several illegal pandals spread across different cities of which over 300 are erected in Mumbai.
India: Who’s Responsible For Deaths On Mumbai-Goa, HC Queries State Government
The Bombay High Court bench of Acting Chief Justice Naresh H Patil and Justice Rajesh Ketkar on Wednesday queried the state government over the deplorable state of Mumbai-Goa expressway and asked the government who’s responsible on the death toll on the highway. A regular commuter and resident of Chiplun in Konkan had file a petition before the court due to the bad condition of the road. The government in its response absolved itself and then fingered the National Highway Authority for the construction debacle.
Australia: Abortion Law: Risk Of Going Is Real When Law Is Flouted
Due to archaic and flawed laws inherited from the UK, abortion is one of the crimes in Australia. Currently, abortion laws in the country criminalize offenders. So many states are in support of the new law, while a few others maintain neutrality. In a recent interview by the Health Minister, the Minister assured that “the parliament is set to debate a bill that would allow women to access abortion via telemedicine, nurse practitioners or their GP.”
Australia: Female Lawyers Reveals Cases Of Workplace Sexual Harassment
Lawyers in Australia are particularly not happy over the increase in cases of workplace sexual harassment. This is after the Australian Human Rights Commission made public its findings on sexual harassment in workplaces – the report didn’t consider the legal sector. Some lawyers spoke over the issue, describing the prevalence of sexual harassment as “a bad omen to the legal profession and to the country at large”.
Chile: Lawmakers Pass Law Allowing Teens Above 14 To Change Legal Sex
Chile legislators on Wednesday massively voted in support of legislation allowing teens above 14 to change their legal sex and name. The Gender Identity Law was voted into law by 95 lawmakers. A breakdown of the law shows that those above 18 can expressly change their gender identity and name, while those above 14 can only do so only after the permission of their parents or legal custodians. The country’s Senate had passed the bill last month.
