Supreme Court Observer

🌤️ Good Morning! 🛕 The hearings for the Sabarimala Reference are expected to conclude today. On Day 15, the essential religious practices test came under challenge from both respondents and the review petitioners: https://bit.ly/4dmdrFk 🗳️ Today, the Court is scheduled to hear challenges against the ECI Appointments Act, 2023. Previously, petitioners argued that executive interference in appointments of election commissioners undermines free and fair elections: https://bit.ly/4wbP1GZ 📷 Activist Rachna Dhingra writes that Raghu Rai’s photographs of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy became both moral testimony and evidence in survivors’ fight against the state-corporate nexus. Read our commentary: https://bit.ly/433Q6TT 👩🏻‍⚖️ In Part 3 of our Collegium series, we examine the representation of women in the Supreme Court Collegium over the years. Read: https://bit.ly/4ff

On Day 15 of the Sabarimala Reference, the nine-judge Bench will continue hearing arguments by the Respondents. Day 15 Report (To be updated): https://www.scobserver.in/reports/sabarimala-reference-day-15/ Follow this thread on X to get live updates from the Court: https://x.com/scobserver/status/2054428306527912269

🌇 Good Morning! 📷 Photojournalist Raghu Rai’s images of Bhopal were “stark, unfiltered, and impossible to ignore,” writes activist Rachna Dhingra, who worked closely with survivors of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Read: https://bit.ly/433Q6TT 🛕 Yesterday, respondents in the Sabarimala Reference argued that the Constitution envisions social reform within religion. Read: https://bit.ly/42wrGSR 👩‍⚖️ Since its inception, the Collegium has had only six women members. We explore the history of women judges in the Supreme Court Collegium: https://bit.ly/4ffh9Tx

🚨 Day 14 arguments in the Sabarimala Reference conclude. Read our hearing report: https://www.scobserver.in/reports/sabarimala-reference-day-14/ The Court will be back for Day 15 arguments tomorrow at 10:30 AM. As always, SCO will bring you accurate live updates and hearing reports. Follow SCO on X: https://x.com/scobserver

🚨 Day 14 arguments in the Sabarimala Reference conclude. Read our hearing report: https://www.scobserver.in/reports/sabarimala-reference-day-14/ The Court will be back for Day 15 arguments tomorrow at 10:30 AM. As always, SCO will bring you accurate live updates and hearing reports. Follow SCO on X: https://x.com/scobserver

🪴 Good Morning! 🛕 Today, a Constitution Bench will continue hearing the Sabarimala Reference. Here’s what happened on Day 13: https://bit.ly/4f8ZooQ 🗳️ Yesterday, the Supreme Court said challenges to the West Bengal election results would require separate proceedings, after petitioners argued that SIR related deletions exceed victory margins in 31 constituencies: https://bit.ly/3PeJ3EM 📚 Volume 5 Issue 2 of the Supreme Court Observer Law Reports (SCO.LR) highlights five important judgements from last week. Read now: https://bit.ly/4wp02VA

🏙️ Good Morning! 🏛️ The Supreme Court recently set aside “caste-coloured” bail conditions requiring Dalit and Adivasi activists to sweep a police station premises. We analyse the order: https://bit.ly/4dwKcAN 📈 In April 2026, pendency in the Supreme Court reduced by 320 cases despite 9 judges being occupied in a Constitution Bench hearing: https://bit.ly/3R3VIuG ⏪ Our Monthly Review of April 2026: https://bit.ly/4nj0jVU 🗳️ Last week, the Supreme Court heard challenges to the validity of the ECI Appointments Act, 2023. Petitioners argued that the law undermined free and fair elections: https://bit.ly/4wbP1GZ

🌸 Good Morning! 🛕 On Day 13 of hearing the Sabarimala Reference, respondents argued that the authority of religious denominations cannot extend to bodily autonomy. Read: https://bit.ly/4f8ZooQ 🗳️ Yesterday, petitioners challenging the constitutionality of the ECI Appointments Act, 2023 argued that the law undermines free and fair elections. Hearing report: https://bit.ly/4wbP1GZ 👨🏻‍⚖️ A bill approved by the Union Cabinet aims to raise the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges. The proposal suggests that a bigger strength would translate to speedy justice: https://bit.ly/4tmnH6n

Yesterday, petitioners challenging the constitutionality of the ECI Appointments Act, 2023 argued that the law undermines free and fair elections. Hearing report: https://bit.ly/4wbP1GZ

On Day 13, the nine-judge Bench will continue to hear respondents in the Sabarimala Reference. Yesterday, respondents argued that excommunication owing to inter-faith marriages violates women's autonomy and dignity. 🧵 Follow this thread for live updates from the Court: https://x.com/scobserver/status/2052258217439412382?s=20 Day 13 Report (to-be updated): https://www.scobserver.in/reports/sabarimala-reference-day-13/

🌞 Good Morning! 👨🏻‍⚖️ On 5 May, the Union cabinet approved a bill to raise the sanctioned strength of the top court from 34 to 38 judges. Our report: https://bit.ly/4tmnH6n 🛕 On day 12 of the Sabarimala Reference, respondents placed a common defense of individual dignity and freedom against what they described as “untrammeled” denominational power. Read: https://bit.ly/42g5Piu ⚖️ Yesterday, a two-judge bench heard petitions challenging executive dominance in appointment of election commissioners. Our report: https://bit.ly/4wgyaCO

Yesterday the Union Cabinet approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 to raise the sanctioned strength of the top court from 34 to 38 judges. This proposal suggests that a bigger strength would translate to speedy justice as pendency trends reach new records. Our report: https://www.scobserver.in/journal/cabinet-clears-bill-to-expand-supreme-court-strength-to-38-judges/

🌞 Good Morning! 🛕 On Day 11, the respondents challenged the validity of the Sabarimala Reference and addressed issues of temple entry, identity and denominational control. Arguments will continue today. Read: https://bit.ly/42cE0HQ ⏰ In our analysis, we examine if the Sabarimala hearings adhered to the Court mandated timelines: https://bit.ly/4tTZsNO 📮 In our latest issue of the Supreme Court Observer Law Reports (SCO.LR), we shortlist unmissable judgements from 27 April to 1 May 2026: https://bit.ly/49gEUa3 ⚖️ We trace the evolution of the Supreme Court jurisprudence on the essential religious practices (ERP) doctrine over 19 cases: https://bit.ly/4u1LppB

Day 11 of the Sabarimala Reference: Arguments today focused on the validity of the reference, with respondents urging the Court to balance religious denominational rights over competing individual claims. Hearings continue tomorrow. Report: https://www.scobserver.in/reports/sabarimala-reference-day-11/

Day 11 of the Sabarimala Reference: Arguments today focused on the validity of the reference, with respondents urging the Court to balance religious denominational rights over competing individual claims. Hearings continue tomorrow. Report: https://www.scobserver.in/reports/sabarimala-reference-day-11/

On Day 11, respondents will continue arguments in the Sabarimala Reference. Senior Advocate Indira Jaising argued last week that religious practices must conform with principles of equality. Our hearing report and X thread will give you live-updates throughout the day. Day 11 Report (to-be updated): https://www.scobserver.in/reports/sabarimala-reference-day-11/ Live thread: https://x.com/scobserver/status/2051527698691027324?s=20

🌞 Good Morning! 🏳️‍🌈 Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Union and the States on the challenge against the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act 2026. Hearing report: https://bit.ly/4weXObq 🛕Today, a nine-judge Bench is scheduled to continue hearing arguments in the Sabarimala Reference. Here’s what happened on Day 10: https://bit.ly/4t3EHy8 ⚖️ As the Court hears the Sabarimala Reference, we looked at the evolution of the essential religious practices (ERP) doctrine over 19 cases. Read: https://bit.ly/4u1LppB 📮 Volume 5 Issue 1 of the Supreme Court Observer Law Reports (SCOLR) shortlists unmissable judgements from 27 April to 1 May 2026: https://bit.ly/49gEUa3

🌞 Good morning! 🗳️ Last week, the Supreme Court, in an urgent Saturday hearing, dismissed the All India Trinamool Congress’s plea challenging the exclusion of State employees from supervisory duty over vote counting scheduled for today in the West Bengal elections. Read: https://www.scobserver.in/journal/through-courtrooms-and-constituencies/ ⏰ In February, the Supreme Court directed rigid timelines for concluding arguments in two Constitution Bench matters. Did the parties meet the mandate? Our analysis: https://www.scobserver.in/journal/verbosity-and-repetitions/ ⚖️ Our latest commentary analyses a new bill from Gujrat that expands state control over marriages as the constitutionality of the anti-conversion law remains pending. Read: https://www.scobserver.in/journal/when-laws-move-faster-than-courts/

🌞 Good morning! 🗳️ Last week, the Supreme Court, in an urgent Saturday hearing, dismissed the All India Trinamool Congress’s plea challenging the exclusion of State employees from supervisory duty over vote counting scheduled for today in the West Bengal elections. Read: https://www.scobserver.in/journal/through-courtrooms-and-constituencies/ ⏰ In February, the Supreme Court directed rigid timelines for concluding arguments in two Constitution Bench matters. Did the parties meet the mandate? Our analysis: https://www.scobserver.in/journal/verbosity-and-repetitions/ ⚖️ Our latest commentary analyses a new bill from that expands state control over marriages as the constitutionality of the anti-conversion law remains pending. Read: https://www.scobserver.in/journal/when-laws-move-faster-than-courts/

In a special sitting of the Supreme Court yesterday, a bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha & Joymalya Bagchi dismissed an appeal by the All India Trinamool Congress, challenging the ECI directive to deploy Central government employees for counting votes. Our newsletter covers the developments: https://www.scobserver.in/journal/through-courtrooms-and-constituencies/