• NATIONAL NEWS

Giving Dowry an equal crime, says Court

While laws prohibiting dowry not only forbid receipt but also giving it, a city court, in a significant observation, held that the brides' families are to be blamed for rendering the social welfare legislation largely ineffective. "It is unfortunate that the legislation (Dowry Prohibition Act) has been reduced to a mere paper tiger. What is more unfortunate is that the family of the woman (involved in the marriage) is responsible for the non-accomplishment of this legislation," Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Kamini Lau noted. To meet the objectives of the law, not only the grooms' families but also the brides' must be booked for giving dowry in the name of social obligation.

Calcutta CJ moved to Bombay on Day 2 of Bar-Bench row

In a significant development, Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Justice MS Shah was on 25.06.2010. transferred to Bombay High Court, barely a day after the High Court Bar Association went on a strike following the eviction of lawyers from a courtroom on Thursday on the orders reportedly issued by the Chief Justice himself. The Chief Justice's last day here was marred by the controversy with a section of lawyers vandalising his courtroom in the morning. The latest face-off started when the lawyers demanded the court to allot them room number 20 to be used as restroom. The same enclosure was demanded by a set of court officials who wanted to use that room during the summers.

No bar on using Tamil in Court : HC

The First Bench of the Madras High Court clarified on 21.06.2010. that there was no bar on arguing a case in court in Tamil, days after a section of advocates went on an indefinite fast to implement this formally through Presidential assent. This has been communicated to all judges, said the Bench, in an attempt to diffuse the crisis that has fast turned political. The lawyers wanted a circular to be issued in this regard which the court refused, with the Chief Justice adding that there was Constitutional limitation.

Court queries Gujarat bar council on test for budding lawyers

The Gujarat High Court on 23.06.10.came down on the Bar Council of Gujarat, among others, seeking to know why law graduates need to qualify in an exam to enroll with it before beginning their legal practice. While hearing a plea filed by students with a masters degree in law who challenged the amended rules of the Advocates Act, the court sought an explanation from the authorities as to why an examination is required for the enrolment of a law graduate as a lawyer.

A new Bar Council of India resolution states that law graduates must appear in an eligibility test to get a license to practice.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

LHC full bench to take up petition against Awan on July 7

Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Khawaja Muhammad Sharif has constituted a full bench to hear a contempt petition against Federal Law Minister Babar Awan for using derogatory language against the judiciary. The bench comprising Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Justice Iftikhar Hussain, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman and Justice Ijazul Ahsan will take up the petition on July 7. The petitioner, Engineer Ghulam Gilani, said the minister had launched a campaign against the judiciary and was distributing public funds to bar associations to gain the lawyers' favour.

US Government Wins Legal Battle Over Anti-Terror Law

The U.S. government won a major legal victory this week at the Supreme Court over an anti-terror law that has sparked a fierce debate about the issues of security and freedom of speech. By a vote of six to three, the Supreme Court upheld a key anti-terror law that bars groups and individuals from providing material support to organizations designated as terrorist groups by the U.S. State Department. The material support law was first enacted by Congress in 1996 and strengthened after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States as part of the Patriot Act.

Muslim judicial officers have been charged to always enhance transparency accountability and probity in the conduct of government businesses.

Sayed Malik, a professor of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan, gave the charge in a paper he presented at the 4th National Conference of the Muslim Lawyers' Association of Nigeria (MULAN), in Ibadan. According to him, "Muslim judicial officers in the Bar and Bench should know that they have a vital role to play in the enhancement of transparency, accountability and probity in the conduct of government business and the promotion of well-being of the people.

"They must realise that perverting the cause of justice cannot make them successful in life," Malik said. He charged the three tiers of government to create enabling environment for fighting corruption.