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Bharat Vikas Parishad with it’s youth wing YUVAK foundation in collaboration with VIPS is organising it’s 1st national Moot Court competition (Regional Round) to celebrate the 75th Independence Day and add on the flavours of patriotism amongst law students and fraternity.

ABOUT

Vivekananda School of Law and Legal Studies (VSLLS) of Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies (VIPS) is committed to realizing the words of Swami Vivekananda: “Man Making, Character Building, and Nation Building”.

Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies is affiliated with Guru Gobind Indraprastha University, recognized by Bar Council of India and UGC under section 2(f), with NAAC ‘A’ accreditation.

ELIGIBILITY

  • The Competition is open to all bona fide regular students enrolled in any Law Course (LL.B/ LL.M) or its (equivalent international) program in any University or Institute within Delhi NCR recognized by the Bar Council or State Government or Central Government as the case may be.
  • Each team shall comprise a minimum of two members i.e two speakers and a maximum of three members i.e. two speakers and one researcher. Thus, each team shall be composed of two speakers (Compulsory) and a researcher (if any).
  • A maximum of two teams are allowed to participate in the competition from one college/institute/university.

REGISTRATION DETAILS

  • Interested teams are required to register by filling the registration form through the link given at the end of this post, latest by September 18, 2022 by 11:59 p.m. (IST).
  • Registration Fee: INR 3,100/- for each participating team consisting of 2-3 members, to be submitted through the online transaction by September 18, 2022 by 11:59 p.m. (IST)
  • The Bank details for NEFT are as follows:
    • Name of the Account Holder – Yuvak Foundation
    • Account number – 50220016508951
    • IFSC code – BDBL0001480

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Last Date of Registration: September 18, 2022
  • Last Date for Submission: September 30, 2022
  • DAY 1 (Registrations, Inaugural Ceremony): October 7, 2022
  • DAY 2 (League Round, Quarter Finals): October 8, 2022
  • DAY 3 (Semi Finals ,Finals and Valedictory): October 9, 2022

AWARDS

  • Best Team: INR 21,000/-
  • Runners-up: INR 11,000/-
  • Best Memorial: INR 10,000/-
  • Best Speaker: INR 8,000/-

CONTACT DETAILS

+91 99973 29689

https://bit.ly/bvpmootcourt

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Bharath Institute of Law is organizing a Two-Day Interdisciplinary National Conference in commemoration of UN Day on October 17 & 18, 2022.

ABOUT

Bharath Institute of Law is located in Chennai and is a part of the Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research (BIHER).

THEME

The event is a two-day Inter-disciplinary National Conference titled “Humanization Of Modern International Law: International Peace and Security Issues” on October 17 & 18, 2022, under the auspice of United Nations day.

Although best known for peacekeeping, conflict prevention, and humanitarian assistance, there are many other ways the United Nations and its System affect our lives. The Organization works on a broad range of fundamental issues, from sustainable development, environment, and refugees protection, disaster relief, counter-terrorism, disarmament and non-proliferation, to promoting democracy, human rights, gender equality, and the advancement of women, governance, economic and social development, and international health, clearing landmines, expanding food production, and more.

Considering these objectives and functions of the UN, School of Law is organizing a Two Day Interdisciplinary national Conference in commemoration of UN Day on October 17 & 18, 2022.

SUB-THEME

  • UN peacekeeping force & peace-making process
  • Climate Resilience & Ecosystem Restoration
  • Russia-Ukraine crisis & Disaster relief
  • UN and Rule of law
  • UN-Economic growth & sustainable development
  • UN-History, founders, policy, and political affairs
  • Global youth unemployment & Children in conflict areas
  • UN, WTO, IMF, and world bank-current issues
  • Role of WHO in pandemic
  • UN and Energy efficiency building
  • UN-Infrastructural development & industrialization
  • FAO-Agriculture and food security

ELIGIBILITY

Academicians and Research Scholars, Students, Lawyers, and N.G.Os

SUBMISSIONS

  • Abstract should be not more than 300 words. Full paper should contain 3000-5000 words excluding footnotes. Submissions to be made to mail ID unconferencesubmission@gmail.com
  • FEE DETAILS
    • Academic and other professionals: INR 1000/-
    • Research scholars and Students– 500/-

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Submission of Abstract: September 22, 2022
  • Intimation of Abstract acceptance: September 26, 2022
  • Submission of Full Paper: October 6, 2022
  • Intimation of Full Paper acceptance: October 10, 2022

CONTACT DETAILS

+91 78269 86574

https://forms.gle/Cvc6JMaAoESqfqd98

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Rayat College of Law is organizing 10th National Moot Court Competition.

ABOUT

Rayat College of Law, Railmajra, S.B.S. Nagar is the benchmark Institution in Punjab, imparting legal education through B.A/B.Com. LL.B. (Hons.) 5 Year Integrated Course And LL.B (3 years) .

ELIGIBILITY

The Colleges/Universities/Institutes pursuing LL.B (Five Year or Three Year Degree Course) in the current academic year are eligible to participate in this competition. However, only one team per university/institution shall be eligible to participate.

TEAM

  • The participating College/University/Institute shall nominate one team consisting of three students for the competition.
  • Each team shall comprise of three students (two speakers and one researcher). An observer may accompany the team but no certificate shall be provided to him/her.
  • In case of any contingency, the researcher may substitute the speaker only with the prior permission of the organizer.

REGISTRATION DETAILS

The Registration Form (given in the brochure below) completely filled and duly signed by the Head of the participating college/University/Institute along with a draft worth Rs. 4200/- as Registration Fee drawn in the favour of The Principal, Rayat College of Law, Payable at Ropar should be sent on or before 15 February 2020 (soft copy) and on or before 20 February 2020 (hard copies).

DEADLINE

February 20, 2020

SUBMISSIONS

  • The participating teams must submit Two hard copies of the memorials prepared from both the sides, i.e., “petitioner” and “respondent” according to the proposition (6 copies from respective sides to bring with them i.e. a total of eight copies) on or before 16/03/2020.
  • The participants must send a soft copy of the above-stated documents to rclmootcourt2016@gmail.com by 10/03/2020
  • Each team will be given a code on submission of the memorial. Copies and Documents submitted shall be the property of the organization.
  • The participating teams will have to report on 28/03/2020 at Rayat College Of Law, Railmajra.

IMPORTANT DATES

  • 1st Prize: Rs. 5000/-
  • 2nd Prize: Rs. 3500/-
  • Best Memorial: Rs. 2500/-
  • Best Mooter: Rs. 2500/-

CONTACT DETAILS

9646586172

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdbBGhlde7cdDl3cmO8eNxLzg8J20lvvZp_XhEJn3pmTiKpYQ/viewform

BROCHURE

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Gitarattan International Business School is organizing Justitia- The 2nd Annual Lex Fiesta by Centre for Legal Studies.

ABOUT

It gives us immense pleasure to announce that the ‘COURTROOM : THE LAW SOCIETY OF CLS, GIBS’ is organizing the 2nd edition of ‘JUSTITIA- 2022’~ The 2nd Annual Lex Fiesta from 21st to 24th November, 2022, following the success of Justitia in the Virtual mode in 2021, Justitia 2022 will be held in the CLS GIBS campus grounds. The National Law fiesta of CLS-GIBS is the one where we aim to improve the competitive spirit in an innovative process of mind and deal with learning aspects of legal education. The event is planned to widen the horizons to accommodate various events/ competitions. The event brings the academicians, practitioners, and students of law together to learn and share their knowledge. 

IMPORTANT DATES

  1. Mediation Competition – November 21-22, 2022
  2. Law Quiz– November 22, 2022
  3. Debate Competition– November 22, 2022
  4. National Law Olympiad (NLO)- November 23, 2022
  5. Youth Parliament– November 23-24, 2022

AWARDS

  • Cash prizes worth Rs 75,000
  • Internships
  • Trophies
  • Certificates

REGISTRATION FEE

  • Mediation (Per Team)- Rs. 2700/-
  • Debate (Per Team)- Rs. 1100/-
  • Youth Parliament (Per Participant)- Rs. 600/-
  • Law Quiz (Per Team)- Rs. 600/-
  • Law Olympiad (Per Participant)- Rs. 300/-
  • Package deal (Participation slot in all 5 events)- Rs.5000/-

DEADLINE

November 1, 2022

https://pages.razorpay.com/Justitia2022

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INTRODUCTION

An organization is a fake individual running for the satisfaction of a reason, however, on occasion, there are circumstances that could prompt its defeat and when an organization wraps up it is possibly removing the work of everybody related to it and is likewise influencing the economy of the country in a negative manner. Thusly, every conceivable step is taken to stay away from this from occurring yet when it couldn’t be stayed away from and indebtedness procedures of an organization are going to initiate, the exchanges made and the agreements went into by the organization preceding the initiation of such bankruptcy procedures are judged and the ones that are viewed as unsafe for the organization and individuals related with it or are violative of the interests of the debt holder or the lender are proclaimed to be void. The cycle is known as evasion of pre-insolvency procedures. The indebtedness and chapter 11 regulations have sorted out an approach to adjusting the privileges of both borrowers as well as lender. Lenders of the element reserving an option to guarantee the levy from the home of the debt holder can not maneuver the borrower toward auctioning off the resources like land, shares and different resources or going into an agreement that isn’t leaning toward the interests of the indebted person and is in any case violative of his privileges or interests.

UNCITRAL MODEL

The Uncitral model under section 2 of its regulative aide accommodates the evasion of specific exchanges with respect to an indebted person to guarantee the equivalent treatment of the multitude of lenders and insurance of the privileges of the borrowers in order to not get controlled by any of the leaders to go into an agreement for the exchange of any of the resources at a worth lower than that of its genuine worth. One more point of view on the equivalent is keeping away from bias with respect to the borrower, the debt holder could favour a lender over the others and could go into an agreement with him in regards to the exchange of a resource when they become mindful of the forthcoming bankruptcy procedures. Consequently, these exchanges that are placed preceding the initiation of the bankruptcy procedures are dropped or are considered to be incapable to guarantee the security of freedoms of each and every elaborate party. Various purviews have put together their indebtedness regulations with respect to the Uncitral model anyway there are qualifications that could be tracked down between the laws of various nations. The Indebtedness and Chapter 11 code, 2016 arrangements with the avoidable, otherwise called weak exchanges under sections 43 to 51. The kinds of exchanges that are avoidable under the IBC are:

  • Preferential transactions
  • Undervalued transactions
  • Extortionate credit transactions.

The previously mentioned exchanges are to stay away from the debt holder during the significant period which is two years in the event of a connected party and one year in different conditions going before the bankruptcy beginning date according to section 46 of the IBC, 2016.

EVASION PROCEDURES

The Uncitral Model Regulation is intended to help States to outfit their bankruptcy regulations with a cutting-edge legitimate system to all the more really address cross-line indebtedness procedures concerning debt holders encountering extreme monetary misery or insolvency. The regulative aide is reliable of 4 sections on indebtedness regulation covering the goals, primary issues, components accessible for the goal of the debt holder’s monetary challenges, the beginning, the disintegration of the indebtedness procedures, evasion of procedures, cross-boundary bankruptcy regulations, other like arrangements that require consideration exhaustively. The regulative aide section 2 accommodates the privileges of a borrower, wherein it is expressed that where the debt holder is a characteristic individual, certain resources are for the most part prohibited from the bankruptcy domain to empower the debt holder to protect its own freedoms and those of its family and it is positive that the option to hold those barred resources be clarified in the indebtedness law.

CRITERIA

  • Objective Rules: The emphasis is on the goal questions, for example, whether the exchange occurred inside the suspect period and whether the exchange proved any of various general qualities set out in the law.
  • Emotional Rules: Emotional methodology is more case explicit, the inquiries that would emerge would resemble whether the expectation to conceal the resources from the loan bosses was there, and when did the borrower become indebted whether it was at the hour of the exchange or whether it was after the transaction.
  • Mix Of The Two: The bankruptcy laws of greater parts of the states are more emotionally driven, but it is joined with a time span inside which the exchange probably happened. In India, for instance, the significant period is 2 years in the event of a connected party and 1 year if there should arise an occurrence of some other loan boss.

CONVENTIONAL COURSE OF BUSINESS

A differentiation is drawn between what might be considered as an everyday practice or normal exchange in a business and what is remarkable and ought to be stayed away from as a piece of avoidable exchange. An earlier lead of the debt holder could assume a part here alongside customs and ordinary practices as continued in the business. The states are allowed to take both of the standards as a base to accommodate the avoidable exchanges as referenced previously mentioned.

EVASION ACTIVITIES ALL OVER THE PLANET

As expressed over, the Uncitral model is just giving a manual for the states to form legitimate evasion activities, various purviews follow the different arrangements of staying away from power, and after ordering them comprehensively we can come to an end result that there are single set and twofold arrangement of staying away from powers, common regulation nations, for example, France and Spain are devotees of a single bunch of keeping away from powers, while customary regulation nations follow two-fold arrangement of staying away from powers, nations, for example, UK and USA, the twofold arrangement of keeping away from powers are underestimated exchanges and unlawful inclinations.

INDIAN PERSPECTIVE

The indebtedness and insolvency code is a moderately new regulation and is impacted by the precedent-based regulation nations with regard to evasion abilities. sections 43-51 arrangement with the evasion procedures wherein agreements on the move of resources or property could be the subject of aversion procedures. Aversion of exchanges and statements of agreements went into the gatherings as invalid and void could be of any agreement, in regards to the exchange of any property or resource. A land contract is no exemption, the instance of Jaypee Infratech Restricted Versus Pivot Bank Restricted is the ideal illustration of evasion of an exchange that depends on the move of an unflinching property.

In the very recent case, Jaiprakash Partners Restricted (JIL), which is the holding organization of Jaypee infratech restricted set up the previously mentioned auxiliary as a particular reason vehicle for the development of a freeway and went into a concurrence with the Yamuna Turnpike Modern Improvement Authority. For this reason, advances were taken from different banks altogether, selling the land and 51% shareholding of JIL. Later on, JIL was pronounced to be a non-performing resource by a portion of its loan specialists and NCLT passed a request under section 7 of the IBC, 2016 to start the indebtedness procedures after the appeal was recorded by IDBI bank with respect to something similar. The selected IRP documented an application in regards to the exchanges went into by the corporate borrower that has made a responsibility on the steady property possessed by the corporate debt holder and in that application such exchanges were professed to be special, underestimated, and fake. The application was tended to and permitted. An allure was documented by the lenders to save the NCLT orders. The issues in this way, looked at by the high court were as follows:

  • Whether the exchanges went into by the account holder underestimated, special and fraudulent?
  • Whether the respondents were monetary leaders given the way that the property was sold to them?

SECTION 43 COMPLIANCE

The NCLT saw that the land was sold to dupe the moneylenders. At the hour of entering the exchanges, the borrower was at that point confronting a monetary crunch and the lenders knew about the indebted person’s situation at the hour of going into the home loan contract. In this manner, the settling authority was of the view that the borrower was attempting to make a deceitful exchange during the sundown time frame and the sole target of the debt holder was to produce some money, consequently not falling inside the classification of customary course of business. The re-appraising expert then again, held that section 43(2) was not drawn in and the home loan was made in the common course of business. Likewise, the exchanges were not underestimated or particular and the arbitrating authority has no ability to make orders in regards to something similar. Taking everything into account, the peak court held that the debt holders had gone into a special exchange. The high court maintained the choice of NCLT and held that Section 43 hit the current case. The three overlay test is expected to be passed by an interpretation to turn into a particular exchange under this section, i.e,. Satisfying the prerequisites of sections 43(4) and 43(2), and shouldn’t fall under the special cases referenced in section 43(3). Subsection 2 section 43 discusses the exchanges in which the corporate debt holder will be considered to have been given an inclination.

SECTION 45 COMPLIANCE

One more kind of exchange that can be stayed away from is given under section 45 of the code is the underestimated exchange. In the aforementioned instance of Jaypee infratech, the IRP was of the view that the exchanges are special as well as underestimated, it was eventually held that the exchange was truth be told underestimated. An underestimated exchange is one in which the corporate debt holder has paid a sum lesser than the real worth of the resource. The referenced case is additionally an illustration of exchanges that could be kept away from on the ground that they are duping the loan bosses. section 49 of IBC manages the arrangement of swindling the loan boss. In the event that the corporate account holder has made an underestimated exchange deliberately, this arrangement would be drawn in.

IBC ACCOMMODATION

Finally, the IBC accommodates one more sort of avoidable exchange, which is exploitative credit exchange. section 50 discusses exploitative exchanges. Any exchange that is negative to the corporate account holder and is made when the indebted person was helpless is considered an exploitative exchange. There can be circumstances like the agreement was either endorsed by the borrower without pursuing or it was intentionally made to incline toward the loan boss as the account holder would sign the agreement being defenseless at that point.

CONCLUDING REMARK

We have laid out that specific exchanges are avoidable and consequently announced void assuming the topic of interest of either the indebted person or some other bank the firm is involved. The locales across the world have chosen various perspectives in regard to the regulations overseeing such procedures. Notwithstanding, the exchanges and agreements that went into are to be judged cautiously. The chance of them being made as a standard course of business exists. Land contracts particularly, the land is one of the most significant resources of any business that could turn into an obvious objective by the loan bosses who wish to hurt the indebted person by removing it at a lower cost simultaneously the borrower likewise could go into an exchange including land with hostility. In this way, the aversion procedures are to be painstakingly analyzed and afterward kept away from to save the interests of the multitude of involved parties.

REFERENCES

  1. UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency available at https://uncitral.un.org/en/texts/insolvency/modellaw/cross-border_insolvency
  2. https://uncitral.un.org/sites/uncitral.un.org/files/media-documents/uncitral/en/05-80722_ebook.pdf page 136 point 151
  3. https://uncitral.un.org/sites/uncitral.un.org/files/media-documents/uncitral/en/05-80722_ebook.pdf page 138 point 158
  4. https://staging.hcourt.gov.au/assets/publications/judgments/1948/012–Downs_Distributing_Co._Pty._Ltd._V._Associated_Blue_Star_Stores_Pty._Ltd._(In_Liquidation)–(1948)_76_CLR_463.html
  5. https://uncitral.un.org/sites/uncitral.un.org/files/media-documents/uncitral/en/05-80722_ebook.pdf page 137 point 157
  6. UNCITRAL legislative guide on insolvency law part 2 https://uncitral.un.org/sites/uncitral.un.org/files/media-documents/uncitral/en/05-80722_ebook.pdf page 167 point 20

This article is written by Saumya Tiwari, Student of Graphic Era University, Dehradun.

Introduction

The advancement in the mode of communication has made human life very easy. Earlier the modes of communication available were very time-consuming and less efficient. In today’s world with the advancement of technology, communication has become very easy and a speedy process. The whole world is now turned into a small village considering the fact that the internet has made access to anyone and anything very simple. Social media is one such platform where people are connected. The term social media is related to computer-based technology facilitating the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through various virtual platforms. Social media is internet-based and provides users with the quick electronic communication of content, such as personal information, documents, videos, and photos. More than 4.5 billion people use social media, as of October 2021. Social media has paved the direction of how society thinks. It has become a platform for the dissemination of truth as well as lies. When everything is affected by the social media justice system and judges are no exception to it.

Independence of Judges

Judiciary being the 3rd organ of the government, it is important that it is independent of any influence from the other two organs of the government or people in general. The term is normative in a sense as it provides what courts and judges ought to possess. The independence of the judiciary is important to save the general public from any unjust treatment. The concept of independence of judges has come from England’s Act of Settlement. Independence of the judiciary is important in a country like India owing to the diversity of the population residing in India. Provisions in judiciary securing the independence of Judiciary:

  • Security of tenure. (Art.124(2))
  • Salary and allowances.
  • Power to punish for its contempt. (Art.129 in Supreme Court, Art.215 in High Court)
  • Separation of judiciary from the executive. (Article 50)
  • No practice after retirement.

With great powers of the judiciary comes great responsibilities upon the judges.  Indian Judiciary in the Chief Justices’ Conference, 1999 laid down several principles and these were accepted by all the High Courts.  Justice must not only be done but it must also be seen to be done. The working members of the higher judiciary must sustain and reaffirm the people’s faith in the impartiality of the judiciary. Keeping this in mind Judge of the Supreme Court or a High Court, in any capacity whether official or personal capacity, erodes the credibility of the Indian justice system has to be avoided. A Judge should not participate in the election to any office of a Club, society or other association; further, he shall hold elective office only in a society or association which is related to the law. Close association with those who practice in the same court shall be avoided. A Judge should not permit any member of his immediate family if a member of the Bar, to appear before him or even be associated in any manner with a cause to be dealt with by him.

No member of his family, who is a member of the Bar, shall share the same residence with him or use any other facilities provided to judge for professional work. A Judge shall avoid hearing and deciding a matter in which a member of his family, a close relation or a friend is concerned. A Judge shall be extra vigilant while entering into public debate or expressing his views in public on political matters or on matters that are pending or are likely to arise for judicial determination. He must avoid situations where he has to give interviews to the media. A Judge shall not accept gifts or hospitality from anyone other than his family, close relations and friends. A Judge should not engage directly or indirectly in trade or business (Publication of a legal or any activity in the nature of a hobby shall not be construed as trade or business).

A Judge must not engage himself in contributions or raising of any fund for any purpose. A Judge should not seek any extra financial benefit in the form of a privilege because of his office unless it is clearly available. Any doubt arising in this context must be resolved and clarified through the Chief Justice. Every Judge must always keep this thing in mind that they are always subjected to the public gaze owning to this fact they must act or omit in a manner that does not result in depreciating the reputation attached to the occupation. The Preamble of the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct, 2002, laid down the principles that are intended to establish standards for the ethical conduct of judges. These guidelines put forward guidance to judges and regulate judicial conduct. The main aim of the principles is to assist members of the other two organs of the government along with the general public to support the judicial system in India.

Media Trials

Social media has become a platform that does not circulate facts but rather matters that can help them gain TRP. Protracted debates and discussions are held that are merely based on speculation, which hurts the rights of witnesses and the accused. The Freedom of speech and expression that is provided under the Article 19(1)(a) has been misused again and again. The criminal jurisprudence followed in India is based on the theory that any accused cannot be held guilty until his guilt is not proven in a court of law. Social media circulates views that may or may not be true about both the victims and the accused.  

The media does not consider the principle that governs trials in India which is “Guilty beyond reasonable doubt” and “Innocent until proven guilty”. It puts a burden on the trial courts which have the duty to minimize the effects of prejudicial publicity. Continuous remarks from such social media platforms can force judges to take decisions in the favour of the media rather than what is actually demanded in the case. Recently we saw in the Nupur Sharma case the bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Pardiwala during the hearing of the writ petition being filed made oral remarks which led to many personal attacks on the judges. Sometimes the general public fails to understand the questions asked in the courtroom are conscientiously for fulfilling the requirements of the law. Media can only circulate the words of the judges without knowing the contexts for the same which impacts the private lives of the judges.

Impact of social media

Judges are also normal citizens of the country and like any other citizen of a country they are also free to use social media but they must bear in mind that their active participation requires careful consideration. Judges must comply with the legal and ethical ramifications keeping in mind the nature of their profession. Positive aspect of social media is that it brings closeness, and openness in the society but at the same time any posts of judges are subjected to misrepresentation or misinterpretation of the content posted by them, or even led to cyberbullying and threats to privacy and safety. In 2011, the International Bar Association Legal Policy & Research Unit (IBA LPRU), conducted a global survey to consider the impact of Online Social Networking (OSN) on the legal profession.  

The survey conducted to measure the impact of OSN on the legal profession revealed that judge use of social media raised specific concerns, 40% responded that judges’ use of OSN negatively affected public confidence in the justice system and undermined judicial independence. People have access to the words said by judges by most of them lack the knowledge of the law and they fail to interpret the actual meaning behind the rationale given by judges. Support for judicial use of social media is made apparent by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

He supports the idea of social media platforms involving in spreading of thoughts, views and knowledge. Judges must be given complete independence to give judgment as to what they decide keeping in mind the rule of law. Media -trials have become commonplace in India. Before a case is decided in a court of law people already have passed their judgment about the matter about which they have no idea. Judges must keep in mind how they are portraying themselves on social media. They must not give any comments regarding the case they are hearing in court. In 2014, IBA’s Legal Policy and Research Unit (LPRU) published its International Principles on Social Media Conduct for the Legal Profession. Pros and cons of the use of social media and guidance regarding judicial conduct and ethics are given in this research.

There is a need to regulate the disclosure of judicial proceedings because those who do not have the knowledge of law forget the fact that law has no space for sentiments. Judgments are passed keeping in mind all the legal aspects and there are meager chances that the judgment can be biased. Criticizing any judgment on legal grounds is acceptable in a democracy but criticizing judges and giving them personal remarks accounts for defamation. Maintaining their oath of allegiance to the Constitution of India, and sustaining the dignity of the office they hold, Judges have to turn deaf to any criticism. In the Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration, it was discussed that in order to bridge the gap between a fair comments on any judgment and personal comments on judges there is a need for education, training and recommendations on how social media can affect its users.

Conclusion

Judiciary is a body responsible for adjudicating law. It has the power that provides justice to the victims. For the proper functioning of the judiciary, it is important that it does not have an undue influence on anyone. Its proper functioning is important to maintain harmony in society. Judges are social workers and any judgment passed by them is based on as per the rule established in law and with due deliberations. Their judgments must not be made a tool to attack them personally, as it is against the justice system.

References

  1. www.investopedia.com › terms › s “Social Media: Definition, Effects, and List of Top Apps” -…Accessed on 13 September, 2022
  2. Data Reportal. “Global Social Media Stats October 2021”Accessed on 13 September, 2022
  3. www.royal.uk › act-settlement-0The Act of Settlement | The Royal Family
  4. www.barandbench.com › columns › social-media-and-the Social Media and the Judiciary – Bar and Bench

This article is written by Rishita Vekta, B.A.LLB(H) 2nd Year, from Lloyd Law College, Greater Noida U.P.

INTRODUCTION

On August 2, the Parliament passed the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019. On August 8th, 2019, it was quickly approved by the President. The Amendment Act, which was passed by Parliament, resulted in a number of revisions to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967. The primary modification was done to Section 35 of the Act. The most recent change to the law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019 (UAPA 2019), allows the Union Government to label individuals as terrorists without following due process. The UAPA is also referred to as the Anti-Terrorism Act. This amendment has received much criticism as it allowed the government to classify individuals as terrorists if the government suspects they are engaging in terrorism. When a person is so classified, their name is included in Schedule 4 of the statute. Prior to the amendment, only organizations could be classified as terrorist organizations. The current challenge to the 2019 Amendment Act is merely in its earliest stages, with the State yet to file its response. Nonetheless, due to the nature of the challenge and previous complaints of the legislation as excessive, the situation is poised to provide an excellent testing ground for the scope of the government’s discretion in anti-terror legislation.

The amendment resulted in sections 35 and 36 of Chapter VI of the Act being broadened – the term “terrorist” to include individuals. It also empowers the DG of the NIA to seize property derived from terrorist funds under Section 25 and personnel with the level of inspector and higher to investigate crimes under Section 43 of the UAPA. The Central Government also establishes a Review Committee to denote the individual who has been designated as a terrorist, effectively eliminating any institutional avenue for judicial review.

CHALLENGES TO THE AMENDMENT

The principal objections to the Amendment are based on Section 35, which, in addition to categorizing organizations as terrorist organizations, expanded the power to encompass the designation of individuals as terrorists. Two petitions were filed before the supreme court regarding the constitutional validity – Sajal Awasthi filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court against the UAPA, 2019, claiming that it is unconstitutional since it infringes basic fundamental rights. Another petition, filed by the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), argued that the new Section 35 enables the Centre to classify an individual as a terrorist and include his individuality in Schedule 4 of the Act, whereas previously only organizations could be designated as terrorist organizations. The fundamental point of disagreement for both petitioners is that an individual can be classified as a terrorist with no judicial assessment and even before a lawsuit is filed, which is unreasonable. They claimed that the Amendment Act violated the rights to life (Article 21), free speech (Article 19), and equality guaranteed by the Constitution (Article 14). Opposers of the Amendment contend that it provides the executive arbitrary authority and infringes an individual’s right to due process, right to protest, and right to dignity. The Court marked these petitions, and on September 7, 2019, it sent notice to the Government. Sections 35 and 36, according to the petitioners, should be repealed and declared illegal. Based on the Awasthi lawsuit, the provision’s absence of defined standards for labelling someone a terrorist violates their right to equality. As a result, the clause is manifestly arbitrary. A law is clearly capricious and inconsistent with equality right if it is established without a proper guiding foundation and is exorbitant or disproportionate in character, according to the concept of obvious arbitrariness. Awasthi further claims that the amendment infringes the right to dissent, which is a component of free speech. They highlighted the judgements in Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras (1950) and Maqbool Fida Hussain v. Rajkumar Pandey (1950) to emphasize the importance of free expression and the accompanying freedom to disagree (2008). The grounds for the petition are as follows:

  1. There is an absence of substantive and procedural fair trials – There is an absence of substantive and procedural fair trials. section 35 authorizes the government to label any individual as a terrorist under the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA. Without an elaborate process, the administration can proclaim and inform based on mere belief. There is no requirement for a fair hearing. The basis for declaring someone a terrorist is imprecise and ambiguous: would it be the filing of an FIR or a trial court conviction? While S. 36 allows an individual who has been designated as a terrorist to file an appeal with the government, its implementation is problematic. A person is not notified of the reason for his or her arrest. At the level of appeal, there isn’t any provision for an oral hearing. In the case of Puttaswamy v Union of India (2017), it was reaffirmed that only through due process of law could the right to life and personal liberty be restricted. Sections 35 and 36 violate the due process requirement.
  2. The law is irrational and infringes on equality – The challenging part lacks safeguards against the considerable potential for discretionary power. While the method for designating an organization as a terrorist is robust, it is inappropriate for an individual. The handling of a person is disproportionate and inappropriate because there is no clear aim underlying the differentiation between an organization and an individual. This does not meet Article 14’s ‘reasonable classification’ criteria. Furthermore, the denial of a fair hearing violated the natural justice concept of audi alteram partem, or the fair hearing rule. Invoking the case of Union of India v Tulsiram Patel (1985), the petition claims that a violation of natural justice leads to arbitrariness and thus violates Article 14. The petition also mentioned People’s Union for Civil Liberties v Union of India (2004). The Court concluded that violating human rights in the fight against terrorism is counterproductive.
  3. Indirect Infringement to Free Speech – According to Maqbool Fida Hussain v. Rajkumar Pandey, dissent is an essential component of the right to free expression under Article 19(1)(a) (2008). Under the pretence of banning terrorism, the challenged Sections are intended to restrict critical expression against the government. The change contradicts the international conventions approved by India. The Amendment specifically violates legal norms under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in Counterterrorism.

CONCLUSION

The Amendment was already widely criticized since it gives the Union Government vast and indefinite authority to arrest anyone without following necessary procedures. The UAPA amendment empowers the government to violate a person’s basic rights to free speech, integrity, dissent, and reputation. The burden of evidence to counter the charges is on the individual, not just the state, and anyone can be branded a terrorist at the discretion of the government. Articles 14, 19(1)(a), and 21 of the Constitution are violated by the 2019 Act changes, and the legislature has no jurisdiction to take away a citizen’s fundamental rights because they are a fundamental component of the Constitution. Certain provisions of the recently amended UAPA, 2019, are irreconcilable with the legal structure of the country. To fight terrorism, this Act empowers the government to impose unofficial limitations on the right to free expression; yet these measures have unintended implications that limit the circulation of ideas within society. As a consequence of this law, countless journalists are placed on trial and required to withdraw their opinions on certain sensitive topics merely because the government considers that doing so will incite hatred, without giving any proof to support this claim. The most serious consequences can be witnessed in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. After Article 370 was repealed, the government gained control over the state. Many residents, especially reporters, are being tried under UAPA and are being denied the right to free expression guaranteed by Article 19(1) of the Constitution. Furthermore, the Amendment contradicts the mandate of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The preceding arguments have demonstrated how the amendment jeopardizes its citizens’ fundamental rights and threatens the very existence of opposition. When such heinous legislation breaches and deprives citizens’ rights, it is the Supreme Court’s responsibility to intervene and re-establish faith in democracy. This Amendment shows the goal of laws enacted by colonial rule to stifle various liberation movements under the guise of maintaining public order.

CITATIONS

  1. K.S. Puttaswamy and Anr. vs. Union of India, (2017) 10 SCC 1 (India).
  2. Union Of India and Another vs Tulsiram Patel and Others, 1985 AIR 1416 (India).

This article is written by Shraddha Vemula, a second-year B.B.A. LLB Student at Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad.

Pravin Gandhi College of Law’s Constitutional Law and Policy Reform Society is hosting the National Essay Competition on Constitutional Law.

ABOUT

The SVKM’s Pravin Gandhi College of Law is a premier law institution under the aegis of Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandal. It was established in 2004 and is affiliated with the University of Mumbai.

ELIGIBILITY

  • All students pursuing undergraduate (three/five year) or postgraduate law degrees from any law school/university/college recognized by the Bar Council of India are eligible to participate in the Essay Competition.
  • Co-authorship of a maximum of TWO authors is permitted.
  • SVKM’s Pravin Gandhi College of Law students are not permitted to participate in this competition.

TOPICS

  • Deliberative democracy in the Indian parliamentary system
  • The role of freebies in Indian elections

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

  • The essay must be the original and bona fide work of the participating author.
  • Only one submission per author or a team of co-authors is permissible. In case of more than one submission, only the one received first would be considered for review.
  • The Constitutional Law and Policy Reform Society owns all copyright and publishing rights to the content submitted. While the work is submitted here, the author is not permitted to submit it elsewhere.
  • The Competition is restricted to one submission per person/team. Multiple registrations from different teams will be allowed from the same college provided they have all registered separately on the given link.
  • Font Type: Times New Roman
  • Headings, Sub Headings: Font Size 14, Bold, Underlined
  • Content: Font Size 12, Normal
  • Alignment: Justified
  • Line spacing: 1.5
  • Margins: Normal
  • Style of citation: Endnotes; Indian Law Institute (ILI)
  • Endnotes: Font Size 10; Line Spacing
  • Plagiarism Limit – 15%

AWARDS

  • Winners from each topic would have the opportunity to publish their essays on the CLPRS blog.
  • The author of the winning essay from each topic shall be given a Cash Prize of Rs. 1500 and a Certificate.
  • In the case of Co-Authors, they shall collectively be given a cash prize of 1500.
  • All participants will be getting participation certificates.

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Last date to Register – September 18, 2022
  • Last Submission Date – September 24, 2022

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Centre for Advanced Study in International Humanitarian Law, RGNUL, is organizing a certificate course on International Humanitarian law, in collaboration with the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), RGNUL.

ABOUT

The Centre for Advanced Study in International Humanitarian Law (CASH), RGNUL is organizing a certificate course on International Humanitarian Law, in collaboration with the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), RGNUL with an aim of encouraging students from various fields and academicians with the relevance of International Humanitarian Law.

OBJECTIVES

  • The Objective of the course on international humanitarian law is to make students understand that IHL does not stop the war although it limits the effects of war. It covers two areas:
  • The protection of those who are not, or no longer, taking part in the fighting.
  • Restrictions on the means of warfare – in specific weapons – and the methods of warfare, such as military tactics.

THEME

Relevance of IHL in the contemporary world: Issues and Challenges

REGISTRATION FEE

  • RGNUL Students – Free
  • Others – INR 200 per student

IMPORTANT DATES

September 26 to 28, 2022

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