A Case Must be Decided on Merit Unless the Litigant Makes Lapses

The Supreme Court (SC) in its judgment  in Mithailal Dalsangar Singh v Annabai Devram Kini says that the courts have to adopt a justice-oriented approach dictated by the uppermost consideration that ordinarily a litigant ought not to be denied an opportunity of having a case determined on merits unless he has, by gross negligence, deliberate inaction or something akin to misconduct, disentitled himself from seeking the indulgence of the court. 

Not to Register a Criminal Case against a Teacher Relating to School Discipline without a Preliminary Probe

A preliminary inquiry must be conducted before registering a criminal case against a teacher for any bonafide act done in the school to discipline their students and the accused teacher should not be arrested during the preliminary enquiry. Such an enquiry is essential to ensure that teachers are not unfairly targeted, says the High Court of Kerala (HCK) in Sibin SV v State of Kerala [2025: KER:20847].

Confirmation of Attachment by the Designated Court under BUDS Act

The delay in filing application for confirmation of the provisional attachment of property by the Competent Authority, under Section 14(1) of the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes (BUDS) Act, 2019 (BUDS Act), to the Designated Court cannot be condoned, as Section 5 of the Limitation Act is not applicable to the Section, says the High Court of Kerala, in paragraph 19 in the judgement in Highrich Online Shoppe Private Limited v The Competent Authority.

Using Loudspeakers is not an Essential Religious Practice

Using loudspeakers, for prayers or for reciting religious discourses, is not an essential part of any religion. Therefore, the Bombay High Court, in Jaago Nehru Nagar Residents Welfare Association v Commissioner of Police [2025:BHC-AS:3288-DB], ordered the Mumbai Police to strictly implement the Noise Pollution Rules, 2000 and ensure that no religious place creates noise pollution by using loudspeakers.

Land Acquisition under the NH Act 1956

In land acquisition under the National Highways Act, 1956 ( NH Act), the First Schedule of the Right to Fair Compensation in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013 (2013 Act) and its relevant sections are squarely applicable since 1-1-2015, based on a notification under Section 105 (3) of the 2013 Act.

Compensation for Land Acquisition under 2013 Act

The High Court of Kerala discusses the method of determination of market value of a land slated for acquisition under Section 26 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (2013 Act), and the award of additional market value for structures under Section 30(3) in State of Kerala v V. J.  Mathew S/o Varkey Joseph [2024 3 KHC 413].

Registrar of Cooperative Socieities can Collect & Provide Information under RTI Act

If the Registrar of Co-operative Societies has access to the information requested by an applicant under the Right To Information Act (RTI Act), and if the information is not exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1) of the Act, the official is obligated to provide that requested information to the applicant in The Muppathadam Service Co-Operative Bank Ltd. V The State Chief Information Commissioner [2024:KER:90020].