Unpacking the 103rd Amendment Verdict (Part I)

Justice Bela Trivedi upheld the constitutional validity of the Constitutional Amendment. JUSTICE TRIVEDI'S OPINION: STRICT INTERPRETATION & LIMITED ROLE OF COURTS Earlier this week, the Hon’ble Supreme Court delivered its verdict in Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India, which concerned the constitutional validity of the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019 (“Constitutional Amendment”)....

The Governor should have consulted the Advocate General and not the ASG

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Governor Banwarilal Purohit [Image Credits - Scroll] The Governor of Punjab is at loggerheads with the state government. At this stage, this news is not shocking given the plethora of instances where the Governor of a state (appointed by the central government) has overruled or disagreed with a decision...

Ayushmann Khurrana’s Article 15 & the Law punishing Atrocities against SC & ST

The motion poster for the movie. The Republic of India celebrates its 73rd Republic Day today i.e., 26 January 2022. On this day, the erstwhile dominion of India became a Republic i.e., a nation governed by its own Constitution. This Constitution was a result of extensive labour and discussion by a Constituent Assembly consisting of representatives...

Indian or Canadian? Understanding India’s law on citizenship, in light of Bollywood Star Akshay Kumar’s citizenship row

It has been rightly said that citizenship is the chance to make a difference to the place where you belong. Being citizen of a country entitles an individual to several privileges and rights, which she/he can exercise to contribute to the nation’s building. For instance, in India only citizens have freedom of speech and expression...

The Sabarimala Verdict: Praise and Criticism

The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, this Friday passed a verdict which has been hailed as a judgment in the right direction contributing significantly to the jurisprudence related to equality and dignity in India. The Court by a 4:1 majority struck down the prohibition on women from entering the Sabarimala temple. The judgment running over...

[Part I] Fundamental? Constitutional? Statutory? Understanding the nature of the Right to Vote in India

[In this two part post series, I shall be discussing the nature of the Right to Vote in India. In this part I shall provide an overview of the nature of rights in India and where does the Right to Vote fit.] Elections are extremely important for any democracy as they allow the voters an...