Government says court verdict vindicates stand on policy

The government maintained on Friday that the Supreme Court had vindicated its stand that policy-making was the executive’s prerogative and revenue-maximisation cannot be the sole criteria to distribute scarce natural resources. Reacting to Thursday’s verdict on a presidential reference on the 2G issue, three senior ministers, however, did not dwell on whether the official auditor  [ Read More ]

SC order gives sound basis for government actions: Khurshid

Law Minister Salman Khurshid Thursday welcomed as “very important” the Supreme Court order on a presidential reference and said it gave a “sound basis” for the government’s policies on allocation of resources. Responding to a presidential reference following the verdict on the 2G spectrum allocation, the Supreme Court Thursday said the auction route was not  [ Read More ]

SC refuses to rely on Chawla natural resources report

The Supreme Court today refused to rely on a report of a high-level committee, headed by former Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla, favouring auction as the route for disposal of natural resources, saying the report is yet to be accepted by the government. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia, while delivering  [ Read More ]

Auction not the only route for resource allocation:SC

Auctions are not the only permissible method for disposal of natural resources across sectors, the Supreme Court Monday said holding that the 2G verdict was confined to allocation of spectrum and is not applicable to other resources. Giving its opinion on the Presidential reference arising out of 2G verdict, a five-judge constitution bench headed by  [ Read More ]

SC refuses to review its verdict on interlinking of rivers

The Supreme Court today dismissed the Centre’s plea seeking review of its direction to government to implement the ambitious interlinking of rivers project in a time-bound manner. A bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia refused to have a relook at its February 27 judgement directing the government to “forthwith” constitute a committee for  [ Read More ]

SC nudges government over lax law officers

The government law officers are “not appointed on the basis of their merit. They are appointed on some other consideration. There is also coalition politics in their appointment”, the Supreme Court said Monday. The court’s oral observation came while it expressed anguish over mistakes in drafting of petitions and poor knowledge of some government advocates.  [ Read More ]

SC declines review of right to education verdict

The Supreme Court has declined to entertain petitions seeking a review of its verdict upholding the constitutional validity of the right to education act that mandates 25 percent quota for poor students in private schools. An apex court bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia, Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Swatanter Kumar said: “The review petitions  [ Read More ]

SC frowns on delay in income tax department appeals

The Supreme Court Monday asked the government to streamline the Income Tax (I-T) Department’s working to check delays in challenging adverse verdicts related to tax demand orders. An apex court bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justice A.K. Patnaik said that the government should also put in place a monitoring mechanism so that streamlined  [ Read More ]

SC says reporting of trial proceedings can be postponed

The Supreme Court today laid down a constitutional principle where aggrieved parties can seek from appropriate court the postponement of the publication of court hearings and a decision taken on a case-by-case basis. The court, however, refrained from framing broad guidelines for reporting of sub-judice court matters, saying it cannot be done “across the board.”  [ Read More ]

Foreign arbitration awards beyond Indian courts’ jurisdiction, says SC

In a boost to foreign investors, the Supreme Court Thursday held that if an Indian investor chooses to go for arbitration with a foreign company abroad, the Indian courts will then have no jurisdiction to interfere with such an arbitration award. By its ruling, a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia reversed  [ Read More ]