Lawwatch : Legal Resources for Learners

Sharing Offensive Messages may lead to Jail Term

By K Rajasekharan 29 August 2022Criminal law

Retweeting, forwarding or sharing of offensive messages on social media as such is not at all declared as a criminal offence in India. However, there are some provisions, under the Information Technology Act (IT Act) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which may put criminal liability on the person who does such an act.

Collector’s Node required to carry on Religious Activities

By K Rajasekharan 29 August 2022Civil law

Two kinds of permissions are required to carry on any religious activities in a building in Kerala. One is prior permission from the Collector of that District and the other is the permission from the Secretary of the local body in that area under the state’s building rules.

Registrar has powers to Correct Birth or Death Register

By K Rajasekharan 28 August 2022Civil law

Correction of any entry in the Birth Register is permissible if any factual error in any entry is revealed and brought before the Registrar based on an application by a concerned party. The Registrar has ample powers to make such correction, as per some judgements of the High Court of Kerala.

HC Guidelines on Protection Officers in DV cases

By K Rajasekharan 11 August 2022Family, Marriage & Divorce

The Guidelines framed by the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, in a case pertaining to Protection Officer in Domestic Violence (DV) cases, are enlisted.

Imposing Unreasonable Bail Conditions is Unlawful

By K Rajasekharan 30 May 2022Criminal law

Absurd, burdensome or unreasonable bail conditions are being thrust upon the accused by courts, while granting bail, based on the whims and fancies of the judges rather than in strict adherence to the provisions of law.

On Media’s Right to Publish Private Matters

By K Rajasekharan 27 May 2022Constitutional law

The extent of media’s right to publish matters relating to citizens unauthorised account of life and activities, under the freedom of press guaranteed by Article 19(1)(a) of the constitution, was considered by the Supreme Court (SC) in R. Rajagopal v State of T.N (known as Auto Shanker case).

SC reiterates Sex Work is not illegal in India

By K Rajasekharan 26 May 2022Criminal law

The SC does not recognise sex work as a profession as the media widely reported. What the SC actually says is that notwithstanding the profession, every individual has a right to dignified life under the Indian Constitution and the constitutional protection that is given to all individual shall be kept in mind by the authorities while enforcing immoral traffic prevention law. In fact, what it puts forth is that the sex workers, who are despised and stigmatised by society, must be treated with full respect for their dignity and humanity, and not to abuse them verbally or physically, or to coerce them into sex work.

Making Allegation against Judges has become a New Fashion

By K Rajasekharan 25 May 2022Criminal law

The Supreme Court (SC), in a Suo Motu Criminal Contempt Petition No.866 of 2021, said on 23rd May 2022 that making allegations against judges is unfortunately becoming a new fashion now and the stronger the judge, the greater the allegations against him.

Difference between Attachment & Charge

By K Rajasekharan 22 May 2022Property & Succession

Attachment creates no charge or lien upon the attached property. It merely prevents and avoids private alienations. It does not confer any title on the attaching creditors. There is nothing in any law which makes the attaching creditor a secured creditor or creates any charge in his favour over the property attached. A charge on the other hand creates no interest in or over a specific immovable property, but is only a security for the payment of money.

SC Judgment on A G Perarivalan’s Release

By K Rajasekharan 20 May 2022Criminal law

The Supreme Court (SC), on 18th May 2022, ordered the release of A G Perarivalan, one of the life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination (in the case AG Perarivalan v State) by resolving some of the unsettled legal issues.

Can a Citizen be forcefully Vaccinated?

By K Rajasekharan 18 May 2022Constitutional law

No person can be forcefully vaccinated, even in the scenario of fast spreading Covid in the recent past. Such an exercise would violate the Fundamental Right of Life & Personal Liberty (Article 21) of such an individual under the Constitution.

Recovery of Excess Payment cannot be made Years later

By K Rajasekharan 14 May 2022Uncategorized

The excess payment of emoluments or allowances made to an employee based on a then-interpretation of a service rule is not recoverable when it was subsequently found to be an erroneous one, the Supreme Court (SC) says in its judgement in Thomas Daniel v State of Kerala.