Interview

The Indian Armed Forces Tribunal faces multiple challenges in the modern era, not least being involved in an era of gender parity and the ambit of cases it can officially deal with. At an India Legal Research Foundation event, Editor-in-Chief, APN channel, RAJSHRI RAI spoke with JUSTICE RAJENDRA MENON, the chairperson of Armed Forces Tribunal on a range of issues. Excerpts:

With the celebration of Intellectual Property Rights Day, the focus swings back to importance and security of our indigenous intellectual property. Editor-in-Chief, APN channel, Rajshri Rai spoke with Controller General, Patents/Designs/Trademark, Prof (Dr) Unnat P Pandit on a host of issues. Excerpts:

As India aspires to become a hub of international arbitration, systemic problems handicap its ambition. As Chairperson of the India International Arbitration Centre, Justice Hemant Gupta faces a challenging task.  He spoke with Sanjay Raman Sinha and Sangeeta Sharma on a range of issues related to arbitration.

Prof (Dr) GS Bajpai, the new V-C of National Law University (NLU), Delhi, has plans to make the institute a leading law university by promoting empirical research and national and international collaboration. He spoke to Sanjay Raman Sinha on his priorities and vision

Former Pakistan president GENERAL PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, who seized power in a coup in 1999, died last week. He was 79 and passed away in Dubai after a prolonged illness. He was president between 2001 and...

The government seems to be upping the ante in its bid to make itself a participant in the judges’ appointment process. Recently, the Union law minister had suggested that collegium accommodate few of government nominees. The constant comments, suggestions and criticisms against the collegium system has taken the shape of power politics. Eminent law scholar Prof Upendra Baxi spoke to India Legal and explained the chess game of constitutional politics and power.

As pressure bears on the judiciary for its constitutional verdicts and collegium system, Justice VS Sirpurkar, a former SC judge, says that democracy is not in danger as the constitutional bedrock is strong. He spoke to India Legal on Constitution, collegium and judges’ appointments.

Demands by the government for changes in the judges’ appointment process and in the collegium system have led to strained relations with the judiciary. As the head of the Constitution Review Commission, former CJI Justice MN Venkatachaliah had suggested measures for promotion of judicial accountability and judicial culture. In the light of the current standoff, Justice Venkatachaliah spoke with India Legal on the underlying issues.

The government is leaving no stone unturned to persuade the judiciary to adopt the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) type of system. Will the judiciary acquiesce? How valid are allegations of secrecy in the collegium functioning? Former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan spoke to India Legal on these issues.

As the judges’ appointment issue threatens to snowball into a major controversy, Sanjay Raman Sinha spoke to two former chief justices of India to gauge their views on the collegium and the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC).