Magazine

Nearly three decades ago, a gossip columnist named E Jean Carroll was sexually assaulted in an upscale New York department store dressing room by a playboy real estate tycoon. Recently, nine jurors in a federal court civil case in Manhattan unanimously agreed that Donald Trump, the ex-president was a sexual predator. Carroll was awarded a total of $5 million dollars in her assault and defamation case against Trump, who is running again in 2024 to be president of the US. This verdict finally may have consequences for someone who has escaped legal accountability

After Rajasthan, Delhi is taking steps to protect lawyers from heinous crimes. Atrocities against them have risen, instilling fear and violating their right to life and to practice any profession with freedom.

Attempts by the state to conduct a caste-based census came to naught after the Patna High Court ordered a stay. The power to carry it out is vested with the Parliament which enacted Census Act, 1948.

The chief justice of India recently highlighted the use of digital technologies the Indian judiciary is experimenting with to make the judicial system more transparent, efficient and accessible. When it comes to free legal aid, however, access to law and justice through digital technologies has limited possibilities. The Pro bono Lawyering programme was launched in 2017 to achieve access to justice for all. However, pro bono lawyering has not yet become an alternative means to foster access to justice in spite of the IT revolution under Digital India.

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:

The Supreme Court in a path-breaking judgment did “complete justice” by expanding its jurisdiction to grant divorce on mutual consent or by declaring irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.

One visible result of the economic liberalisation of 1991 was the opening of malls which have become a runaway hit across the country. Now the courts have offered their definition of a mall and the activities permitted, apart from just shopping, with the help of dictionaries.

As Rahul Gandhi fights a slew of cases, the weaponisation of defamation suits for political upmanship and as a pressure tactic has become apparent, leading to prolonged headache for the defendant.

The Delhi High Court has said that a person’s right to be forgotten is intrinsically linked to his right to privacy, and search engines and intermediaries are legally bound to disable access to offending content.

It has become a regular front page feature in almost every newspaper—the photograph of some of the country’s top medal-winning wrestlers staging a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for sexual offenses. The matter has  now reached the Supreme Court and the question of who wins the legal bout hangs in the balance.