Supreme Court Observer

☕ Good morning! 📊 Currently, the average tenure of a Supreme Court judge is 5.4 years. Nearly half of the sitting judges will have a tenure less than that. What does this say about the age of retirement for SC judges? Read our Court Data piece to know more. https://bit.ly/3JuVbLI 📈With 68,000+ cases pending at the SC, many criticise it for its 6-7 week summer vacation. At this year's India Today Conclave however, CJI D.Y. Chandrachud defended the SC's Vacations as being crucial for 'quality of justice.' Watch more here: https://bit.ly/3J7T6oO 📱Thank you for following our daily updates. We'd love to hear from you about what you would like to read/watch/listen to on the SC. Write to us at admin@scobserver.in. You can also reach out to us on our WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook and Instagram handles!

☀️Good Morning! Here’s a list of platforms where you can find SCO’s simple and direct reporting on the SC. 💬 Big on social media? Follow us on Twitter! Our contemporaneous tweets of hearings are contextualised, with links to reliable, authentic resources. https://bit.ly/3dXuuCU 📸 We’re also on Instagram, where we upload a video on the biggest SC story of the day and week. We tell you what happened at the Court and why it matters. Follow now! https://bit.ly/3Rnjzjr 📹 Our videos are also on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel, and tell us what kind of content you would like to see on the Supreme Court! https://bit.ly/3RkL39u 📧 If you enjoy sitting back on a Sunday morning and reading a crisp newsletter on the highlight of the week, SCO Desk Briefs are for you. This weekly newsletter cuts through the clutter and tells our 12k subscribers the full story in the simplest way. bit.ly/429Yyye 🙏🏽 Thank you for following our daily updates, and for being an engaged, interested community of readers. We’d love to hear from you on what you would like to read/watch/listen to on the SC. Write to us at admin@scobserver.in. Hear from you soon!

☕ Good Morning! 🛜 On May 28th, 2023, a Writ Petition challenging the internet shutdown in the State of Manipur was filed at the SC. Earlier this month a Vacation Bench refused to ‘urgently intervene’ in the matter. Read why: https://bit.ly/42RQ3rN 🗓️ With 68,000+ cases pending at the SC, many criticise it for its 6-7 week summer vacation. At this year’s India Today Conclave however, CJI D.Y. Chandrachud defended the SC's Vacations as being crucial for 'quality of justice.' Watch more here: https://bit.ly/44aFWiZ 📩 Did you know that SCO has weekly newsletters? Our Desk Briefs cuts through the clutter and tells the most important stories from the court in the simplest ways. Subscribe now! https://bit.ly/3N46Ov8

☕ Good morning! A Curative Petition is considered as a 'last remedy' where the SC can revise a judgement. Most recently, the SC rejected a Curative Petition filed by the Union seeking additional compensation for victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. SCO tracks notable cases that dealt with Curative petitions here: https://bit.ly/3XinNgJ 🎙️We are elated to announce that we are back with new podcast episodes! You can now hear analysis and updates of the Supreme Court on the go! Follow us on Spotify and stay tuned: https://bit.ly/3pipyxV ✍️Thank you for following our daily updates. We'd love to hear from you about what you would like to read/watch/listen to on the SC. Write to us at admin@scobserver.in. Hear from you soon!

🌅 Good Morning! 🌈 The SC recently reserved judgement in a case seeking legal recognition of LGBTQIA+ marriages in India. This case follows the 2018 judgement that decriminalised homosexuality. Our latest video traces the remarkable evolution of queer rights in India. Watch the full video here: https://bit.ly/43Mu3Qi 📉 This year, for the first time in 5 years, the SC’s pendency dropped by 766 cases in the first half of the calendar year. This progress is particularly impressive, considering that the SC was also abuzz with significant Constitution Bench activity. Read more: https://bit.ly/42LPoIh 🗃️ The SC is currently on the 5th week of its 6-week long summer vacation. With 68,000+ cases pending at the SC, many criticise its long vacations. But are these breaks essential for the quality of justice? Read more: https://bit.ly/3J7T6oO

☀️Good morning! 👨🏻‍⚖👨🏻‍⚖Two Supreme Court Judges, Justices K.M. Joseph and Ajay Rastogi retired last week. This brings the strength of the Supreme Court to 32 judges, out of the 34 sanctioned strength. 🔢 Justice Joseph retired after over a 4.75 year tenure. We’ve assessed his tenure in numbers here: https://bit.ly/449Jcv5 ✍🏽 He wrote 132 judgements during his tenure. We’ve discussed his notable judgements here: https://bit.ly/3PpevxT 🔢 Justice Rastogi completed a slightly shorter tenure of 4.5 years. https://bit.ly/3CxCFP0 ✍🏽 With a total of 158 judgements, he stands as the 4th most prolific author of judgments in his time. Here are some notable judgements. https://bit.ly/445qBQD

🌅 Good morning! Justice K.M. Joseph retires today after close to a 5-year tenure at the SC. During this tenure, he was part of 404 benches and authored over 132 judgements. 👨🏾‍⚖️ *Notable Judgements* Justice Joseph made significant contributions to the law and the Constitution Bench activity of the Court. In 2023, out of the six Constitution Benches he led, he authored judgments in four cases. Read more: https://bit.ly/3qLY5Fq 📈 *Tenure in Numbers* Having authored an average of 68.4 judgements per year, Justice Joseph is the 5th most prolific author amongst his peers. Read about his tenure in numbers: https://bit.ly/3qKAPHM

☕ Good Morning! 📉 Increasing pendency numbers at the Supreme Court have often been alarming. However, this year the trend shows a hopeful decline. For the first time in five years, pendency dropped by 766 cases in the first half of the calendar year. Read more: (https://bit.ly/42LPoIh) 📜 A recent Union Ordinance effectively contradicts the SC Judgement granting Delhi Government Power Over the NCT Delhi. What is the case about and why does it matter? Read here: (https://bit.ly/3X4PEkH) 📊 Interested in understanding the SC’s activity in numbers? Visit our Court Data page where we discuss pendency, judges tenures, disposals and much more: (https://bit.ly/3qtlqLY)

✨Good Morning!✨ 👩🏻‍⚖️ The Indian Supreme Court had a jam-packed first half of 2023. On top of their regular workload, they managed to hear 16 Constitution Benches cases, and delivered a whopping 13 Constitution Bench Judgements. 📄 Why does this matter? Constitution Benches of the SC assemble to interpret the Constitution and answer substantial questions of law. These judgements impact society, politics, economy and the way we understand law. SCO put together these meaningful Judgements here: https://bit.ly/43X2m7m 🏳️‍🌈 The big case that caught all our attention was the petition seeking marriage equality for all. After 10 days of hearings and nearly 30 hours of arguments, the SC reserved judgement. We put together all the arguments in this case in our arguments matrix here: https://bit.ly/454EOyO 👂🏽The Court also heard other important cases this year, on independence of investigative bodies, scope of arbitration law, remission of the Bilkis Bano convicts and more. Here’s SCO’s list: https://bit.ly/42egOXm 👴🏼 There was rapid collegium activity during the summer session, with two retirements and two swift appointments. The Supreme Court experimented with Artificial Intelligence, albeit with questionable results. We’ve put together the most notable developments here: https://bit.ly/3XaMOL2

🌞 Good Morning! *Are the SC’s Vacations Too Long?* 🗃️ The SC’s vacations, around 10 weeks each year, have been widely criticised. Viewed through the lens of the Court’s daunting pending caseload, these fears may seem valid. However, insight into a judge’s work schedule paints a different picture. Read more: https://bit.ly/3J7T6oO 📉 The SC’s pendency drops only when it disposes of more cases than are newly filed. Last year alone, the Court disposed of over 29,000 cases (https://bit.ly/43XHlJJ). 2022 marks the first in 5 years when the SC’s annual disposals exceeded the number of newly filed cases, resulting in a drop in pendency. More here: (https://bit.ly/3qtEU2T) 🎥 Interested in quick and in-depth video explainers on top cases from our SC? SCO’s YouTube channel has you covered. Subscribe now! (https://bit.ly/3OMWpFt)

☕ Good Morning! 🗓️ One month after the SC’s judgement on the Shiv Sena rift, the Thackeray faction leader Mr. Sanjay Raut has threatened returning to the Court. The reason? Disqualification proceedings against rebel MLAs has still not begun. This may be unsurprising to many, as the Judgement in this case has been criticised for having no ground impact on Maharashtra political landscape. More here: https://bit.ly/43vSeT2 ⚖️ On Friday, the SC held that the Bar Council of India's (BCI) can make rules for advocates enrolling in any State Bar Council. Justices Vikram Nath and PV Sanjay Kumar relied on the recent Constitution Bench judgement which upheld the BCI's power to conduct the All India Bar Examination (AIBE). Read SCO's report here on the judgement here: https://bit.ly/3Cox1yz ✍️Thank you for following our daily updates. Check out our YouTube channel for video updates, explainers and more! https://youtube.com/@supremecourtobserver

☕ Good Morning! 🎖️Yesterday, a Vacation Bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal heard a plea seeking the reinstatement of an Army Officer who was dismissed for 'disgraceful conduct' under S.46 of the Army Act, 1950. 🗣️ The Counsel for the Office informed the Court that the Officer was dismissed for being in a consensual homosexual relationship. The case will be heard next on Monday, May 12th, 2023. 📜 Constitution Benches of the SC have decriminalised homosexuality in 2018 (bit.ly/43QMgMg) and Adultery in 2019 (https://bit.ly/3oRInrE) as crimes under the IPC. These offences often qualify as 'conduct unbecoming' under various Military enactments. 🏛️ The Union govt. sought clarification on whether the Adultery judgement applied to persons of the Armed forces as they were a 'class apart'. 👨‍⚖️ Earlier this year, a Constitution Bench led by Justice K.M. Joseph clarified the while decriminalising adultery, the Court was not concerned with the Military enactments. It remains to be seen how these Constitution Bench decisions will impact instances where Army personnel are involved. (https://bit.ly/43QMaUU)

🌞 Good Morning! 📰 Before going on vacation, the SC witnessed a flurry of activity on several fronts in the month of May. These include 4 Constitution Bench decisions, new Judges, the conclusion of hearings in key cases affecting marriage rights, and independent investigative bodies. Read more: https://bit.ly/3MXHUwb ⚖️ Constitution Bench (CB) activity, this year, proceeded with gusto with the SC having conducted 55 CB proceedings in just 5 months (https://bit.ly/43qCWzb). The SC delivered 4 CB decisions in May alone. (https://bit.ly/3J2Klwd) 👨‍⚖️ Justices M.R. Shah and Dinesh Maheshwari retired. Their vacancies were filled in with uncommon speed with the Union accepting the Collegium's new recommendations in just 2 days. The result? The elevations of Justices K.V. Vishwanathan (https://bit.ly/3WRlfGr) and P.K. Mishra (https://bit.ly/3X9opWh) to the SC.

Good Morning! ☀️ 🗓️ Many of you know SCO for our our curated morning updates. We’ve been lucky to have an engaged, informed audience on this platform. So, we’d love to take this morning’s message to share with you all the many types of content we publish to bring the best of the Supreme Court to you! 🔍 On scobserver.in, you can find 5 broad categories of content. ⚖️ Our *Case Archive* includes a vast collection of important cases where we’ve provided their background, reported on big hearings, and explained judgements. Something unique to SCO—we provide access to documents submitted by all the parties in a case. https://bit.ly/45MHn8R 👩‍⚖️Learning about the Judges of our Supreme Court? Our *Judges* section offers profiles of sitting and retired judges: https://bit.ly/43GPjGU 📝 Our *Analysis* section is where we discuss interesting aspects of latest cases and developments at the SC. https://bit.ly/3J0E18m 📊 Another unique section is Our *Court Data* page where we analyse the Court in numbers. We discuss pendency, judges tenures, disposals and much more: https://bit.ly/3qtlqLY 🎥 Our Channel section is where we’re coming face-to-face with you. You’ll find video explainers and podcasts, with more to come! https://bit.ly/43qDpB9 Let us know what you would like to read about on SCO. Write to admin@scobserver.in. We’d love to hear from you! As always, thank you for reading, learning and engaging with us. Hear from you soon!

☀️Good Morning! 🛜 Yesterday the SC received a petition challenging the ‘mechanical’ Internet shutdowns in Manipur. The petition claims that the shutdown violates free speech. The Orders imposing the shutdown are repetitive, leading the petitioners to claim that it betrays a serious non-application of mind by the State. ⚖️ The petition relied on the SC’s Judgement in the Anuradha Bhasin case. Here, in context of Internet shut downs in Jammu and Kashmir, the SC held that the suspension of internet services cannot be indefinite and must be proportionate. (https://bit.ly/3Nf83rA) 🎤 In its 279th Report, the Law Commission recommended broadening the scope of sedition and increasing quantum of punishment, last week. We discuss this development and what it means for Freedom of Speech in the latest episode of SCO Explains. (https://bit.ly/3JlquZx)

🌞 Good Morning! Here are SCO’s updates for the day: ✍️ The Supreme Court is currently on its 6-week long summer vacation. Many critics, including former Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, have criticised long vacations claiming that it is inconvenient for those seeking justice and leads to increased pendency of cases. On the other hand, SC Judges defend long vacations, stating that the break aids in judgement writing. Is there any merit to this claim? Read more: https://bit.ly/3oEkSSX 🗓️ How do the Indian Supreme Court’s vacations compare to other apex courts across the world? While it may seem like the Indian SC enjoys long vacations, a quick look at hearing practices from top courts around the world shows that the Indian SC spends a comparatively greater amount of time hearing oral arguments. Read more: https://bit.ly/3IRQhIx 📺 Interested in quick and in-depth video explainers on top cases from our SC? SCO’s YouTube channel has you covered. Subscribe now! (https://bit.ly/3OMWpFt)

🌞 Good Morning! Here are SCO's updates for the day! 📺 In the first half of 2023, the SC conducted 55 Constitution Bench hearings in 16 cases. Of these, the Court delivered judgements in 13 cases. The Constitution Benches concluded decade-long pending cases and answered substantial questions of law. Why does this matter? Watch the latest episode of SCO Explains to know more! https://bit.ly/43yQrMJ 📝 The SC was also busy with Collegium recommendations, new judges, experiments with new technologies and much more. SCO put together a list of the biggest developments here: http://bit.ly/3MGiUt7 ✍️ Did you know that SCO has weekly newsletters? Our Desk Briefs cuts through the clutter and tells the most important stories from the court in the simplest ways. Subscribe now! https://bit.ly/3N46Ov8

☀️Good Morning! Here’s a list of platforms where you can find SCO’s simple and direct reporting on the SC. 💬 Big on social media? Follow us on Twitter! Our contemporaneous tweets of hearings are contextualised, with links to reliable, authentic resources. https://bit.ly/3dXuuCU 📸 We’re also on Instagram, where we upload a video on the biggest SC story of the day and week. We tell you what happened at the Court and why it matters. Follow now! https://bit.ly/3Rnjzjr 📹 Our videos are also on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel, and tell us what kind of content you would like to see on the Supreme Court! https://bit.ly/3RkL39u 📧 If you enjoy sitting back on a Sunday morning and reading a crisp newsletter on the highlight of the week, SCO Desk Briefs are for you. This weekly newsletter cuts through the clutter and tells our 12k subscribers the full story in the simplest way. bit.ly/429Yyye 🙏🏽 Thank you for following our daily updates, and for being an engaged, interested community of readers. We’d love to hear from you on what you would like to read/watch/listen to on the SC. Write to us at admin@scobserver.in. Hear from you soon!

☕ Good Morning! 📝 This year, the SC has been very busy with Constitution Benches, Collegium recommendations, new judges, experiments with new technologies and much more. Here is a crisp consolidation of all the highlights and changes at the SC so far: bit.ly/3MGiUt7 ⚖️ Want a detailed explanation of notable judgements, hearings and institutional developments of the SC? Read SCO's nuanced summer (Mar-May) review articles here: 1) Judgements: https://bit.ly/4355TQS 2) Hearings: https://bit.ly/42egOXm 3) Institutional Developments: https://bit.ly/42egOXm ✍️Thank you for following our daily updates. We'd love to hear from you on what you would like to cover next on the SC. Write to us at admin@scobserver.in. You can also reach out to us on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and Facebook. We hope to hear from you soon!

☀️Good Morning! Here’s a list of platforms where you can find SCO’s simple and direct reporting on the SC. 💬 Big on social media? Follow us on Twitter! Our contemporaneous tweets of hearings are contextualised, with links to reliable, authentic resources. https://bit.ly/3dXuuCU 📸 We’re also on Instagram, where we upload a video on the biggest SC story of the day and week. We tell you what happened at the Court and why it matters. Follow now! https://bit.ly/3Rnjzjr 📹 Our videos are also on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel, and tell us what kind of content you would like to see on the Supreme Court! https://bit.ly/3RkL39u 📧 If you enjoy sitting back on a Sunday morning and reading a crisp newsletter on the highlight of the week, SCO Desk Briefs are for you. This weekly newsletter cuts through the clutter and tells our 12k subscribers the full story in the simplest way. bit.ly/429Yyye 🙏🏽 Thank you for following our daily updates, and for being an engaged, interested community of readers. We’d love to hear from you on what you would like to read/watch/listen to on the SC. Write to us at admin@scobserver.in. Hear from you soon!