IL Feature

By setting aside a Kerala High Court order, the Supreme Court sent a reminder that under existing law, the Courts do not have the power to alter a judgment and an order once passed, except to correct a clerical or arithmetical error.

The Allahabad High Court has reduced the jail sentence of a man convicted for sexually assaulting a child by controversially observing that oral sex does not fall within the category of “aggravated sexual assault” under POCSO.

As per a report of Praja Foundation, 99% of cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in 2020 are pending trial. The delay is being attributed to factors like setting up of virtual courts during the pandemic and the unorganised police-court mechanism. There is, therefore, a need to understand the various agencies involved in the functioning of the POCSO Act and the issues and challenges faced by special courts due to which pendency has taken place.

Does the need for defence obliterate the need for a sustainable environment for future generations? This question was raised before the Supreme Court of India, a conundrum even for the highest court of the land to find a balance between the two.

In a laudable judgment, the Madras High Court recently advised the National Medical Council that medical colleges should not teach students in a way that is derogatory to this community.

The debate between personal liberty and national security concerns has been growing. In this context, the norms surrounding solitary confinement and speedy trial along with ensuring human dignity while being incarcerated need to be reemphasised.

The new Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021, is a progressive legislation. The key changes brought to the juvenile laws reinforce the protection of children and also streamline the adoption system for juveniles.

The state became the third in India to bring in a bill to punish those damaging private or public property during riots, hartals and protests. After becoming a law, tribunals will be set up in this regard.

Although the Kerala High Court has dismissed her plea that her “kidnapped” child born out of wedlock be produced, a young mother’s fight against the parental control of her child is being seen as a milestone in a woman’s right to her sexuality.

The Supreme Court recently said that if any court finds that an offence registered under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989, is primarily a private or ...