
Interview | Judges must be strong in withstanding the pressure of media trials, says senior advocate Vivek Sood
With three decades of experience as a senior criminal lawyer, Vivek Sood shares his perspective and insights into the criminal justice system

Neither a saboteur nor a sage: Governor is a constitutional functionary who needs to be solely loyal to the Constitution
Governors need to act true to their conscience and Constitution. That will take care of the dignity of their office

Basic Structure doctrine: Defensive wall against totalitarian trends or attempt to establish judicial supremacy?
Any fair criticism of the Kesavananda Bharati case needs to take one important point into account. The circumstances under which the decision was taken by the court were extremely adverse. But now the times have changed

Illegal encroachments: Acknowledgment of 'human angle' doesn’t give free ride to encroachers
These encroachments do not happen in a short time or without the awareness of the authorities

Judiciary-Executive tussle: Friction arising out of democratic functioning can be ironed out, but not turf wars
What leads to the shrinking of the space of accommodation is a conflict between the judiciary and executive that is guided more by a will to impose one’s supremacy rather than any bona fide consideration like the greater common good

Indian judiciary in 2022: A year marked by landmark judgments, usual controversies and need for introspection
Hopefully, 2023 will be marked by events that are more about strengthening the justice delivery system than some turf war and useless controversies

Kota suicides: The piteous tale of great expectations and hopelessness
The death of the young students failing a competitive exam is more than anything a death of hope — hope for a better tomorrow, hope for another chance. Hope for reclaiming oneself from the biggest failure

Not for or against incumbents, poll results are indicative of people’s trust in intent of their leaders
Pro-incumbency should be read as validation of the intent of the leader and the party in power

Writing on the wall has existed for decades, need to clean ideological defacement that ails JNU campus
The fact that left-leaning student groups can dictate the terms ranging from fee structure to the appointment of teachers, makes it evident that the battle of cleansing JNU from leftist and anti-national elements is not even half won

Confuse, if you cannot convince: Standard toolkit of CAA opposition
CAA protesters are well aware that if they cannot convince by facts at least they can confuse by rhetoric

Supreme Court, TN Seshan and Election Commission: Neither a good check, nor the right balancing act
The Supreme Court by intervening excessively in the domain of legislature and executive at regular intervals is creating a disequilibrium that is certainly not a good balancing act

Judicial appointments: Judiciary's independence is paramount but need to check ‘imperium in imperio’
Any criticism of the collegium is not meant to undermine the independence of the judiciary. It is only meant to highlight the pitfalls of the collegium system

How a DGP’s ‘unbounded’ and unfettered resolve brings in a positive change in Bihar
Abhayanand’s memoir has offerings for all: Police officials, bureaucrats, lawmakers, civil service aspirants, and management students

From Rajpath for Kartavya Path: How new India is shedding its colonial burden and baggage
The change of names is reflective of newfound confidence; it is a marker of the emergence of a new India that is asserting its past, is self-assured of its present, and is confident about its future

India@75: Six judgements that safeguarded individual liberty and strengthened India's democracy
These judgements are only a few of the hundreds that helped in consolidating India’s position as a constitutional democracy

Nupur Sharma case: To err is human, to rectify it is justice
There are numerous examples where the Supreme Court, in pursuit of safeguarding fundamental rights, called for including even the courts within the definition of State so that even its judgement can be challenged if seen to be violative of the fundamental rights

From ‘caged parrot’ to ‘amoeboid monster’, how remarks by honourable courts live beyond the case
Comments made by the honourable court, whether as a directive or an observation during a case hearing, cease to fade from public memory easily

Why honourable courts should exercise ‘utmost discretion’ while making oral observations
Judicial utterances don’t ‘pass with the moment’, they linger on in our collective memory, shape public opinions, and even the legal process

Section 498A of IPC: When presumption of ‘innocence’ is replaced with ‘guilt’, it often leads to miscarriage of justice
Section 498A of the IPC — introduced in 1983 to protect married women from being subjected to cruelty by husband or his relatives — is often misused as a weapon to settle personal scores, rather than being used as a shield against the harasser

Questioning India’s ‘nationhood’ reflects Rahul Gandhi’s constitutional and historical ignorance
The Congress leader's ‘India is not a nation’ statement exposes his long-held colonial beliefs and that he is still trapped and influenced by the colonial narrative