Supreme Court issues notice to Centre on Waqf Act, questions validity of provisions in 1995 Act
Supreme Court issues notice to Centre on a plea challenging the Constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Waqf Act, 1995, as amended by the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
Supreme Court tags the plea along with pending petitions challenging the 1995 Waqf Act.
(This is a breaking news)
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Hindustan Times
27 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
CJI Gavai cautions judges against accepting govt posts, contesting polls
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai has sounded a strong note of caution against judges accepting government posts or contesting elections immediately after retirement, warning that such practices raise 'significant ethical concerns' and risk eroding public confidence in the judiciary's independence. 'If a judge takes up another appointment with the government immediately after retirement, or resigns from the bench to contest elections, it raises significant ethical concerns and invites public scrutiny,' underlined CJI Gavai, addressing a high-powered roundtable on judicial independence at the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom on Tuesday. 'A judge contesting an election for a political office can lead to doubts regarding the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, as it may be seen as a conflict of interest or as an attempt to gain favour with the government,' he added. According to the CJI: 'The timing and nature of such post-retirement engagements,' he added, 'could undermine the public's trust in the judiciary's integrity, as it could create a perception that judicial decisions were influenced by the prospect of future government appointments or political involvement.' CJI Gavai emphasised that he and many of his colleagues had 'publicly pledged not to accept any post-retirement roles or positions from the government.' This, he said, was 'an effort to preserve the credibility and independence of the judiciary.' His remarks come amid long-standing debate over whether judges should be eligible for post-retirement positions -- a concern deepened in recent years by examples of Supreme Court and high court judges taking up roles offered by the executive soon after demitting office. Justice SA Nazeer, for instance, retired as a Supreme Court judge in January 2023. He was appointed as the governor of Andhra Pradesh, within 40 days of his retirement. Notably, justice Nazeer was part of the five-judge bench that decided the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi case in November 2019 handing over the Ayodhya land to the Hindu party. Justice Nazeer was the lone Muslim face on the Ayodhya bench presided by then chief justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi. Justice Gogoi was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha merely four months after retiring as the CJI in November 2019, sparking widespread criticism. Justice Gogoi was the second CJI to become a member of the Upper House. Former CJI Ranganath Misra was nominated to Rajya Sabha by the Congress and served from 1998 to 2004. Former Supreme Court judge Fathima Beevi was appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu from 1997-2001. Former CJI P Sathasivam was also appointed Governor of Kerala from 2014-2019. While Justice K Subba Rao contested the fourth Presidential elections, Justice Mohammad Hidayatullah became Vice President from 1979 to 1984. Similarly, justice Arun Mishra was appointed chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission within a year of retirement. Similarly, several high court judges have taken gubernatorial or tribunal posts immediately after leaving the bench. Judicial misconduct: The CJI also acknowledged a deeper malaise afflicting the judiciary -- instances of corruption and professional misconduct among judges, which he said severely tarnish the institution's legitimacy. 'Sadly, there have been instances of corruption and misconduct that have surfaced even within the judiciary. Such occurrences inevitably have a negative impact on public confidence, potentially eroding faith in the integrity of the system as a whole,' he lamented. Simultaneously, justice Gavai underscored: 'The path to rebuilding this trust lies in the swift, decisive, and transparent action taken to address and resolve these issues.' He added: 'In India, when such instances have come to light, the Supreme Court has consistently taken immediate and appropriate measures to address the misconduct.' He further said: 'Transparency and accountability are democratic virtues. In today's digital era, where information flows freely and perceptions are rapidly shaped, the judiciary must rise to the challenge of being accessible, intelligible, and answerable, without compromising its independence.' Though he did not mention any names, CJI Gavai's remarks come in the backdrop of the recent controversy surrounding high court judge Yashwant Varma, who has been indicted by a Supreme Court in-house inquiry panel over unaccounted cash found at his Delhi residence in March. In early May, the then CJI, Sanjiv Khanna initiated the process for the removal of justice Varma by writing to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that the allegations of recovery of cash at the judge's residence was serious and warranted initiation of proceedings for his removal. The development has once again placed judicial accountability under the spotlight, fueling calls for clearer standards and greater transparency. 'Legitimacy rooted in integrity': CJI Gavai's wide-ranging speech examined the core values underpinning judicial legitimacy, contrasting the judiciary's authority, which derives not from the ballot, but from public confidence, with the powers of the executive and legislature. 'In every democracy, the judiciary must not only dispense justice, but also be seen as an institution that deserves to hold truth to power,' said the judge, highlighting that the terms 'judicial legitimacy' and 'public confidence' are interconnected. He drew on the vision of Dr BR Ambedkar, who had warned during the Constituent Assembly Debates that the judiciary must remain 'independent of the executive' and 'competent in itself.' Article 50 of the Constitution, Gavai noted, mandates the separation of the judiciary from the executive in public services, and mechanisms like fixed retirement ages, financial independence, and the collegium system were designed to uphold this principle. The CJI also reaffirmed the importance of judicial review and the judiciary's counter-majoritarian role. 'Courts must have the power of independent judicial review,' said justice Gavai, citing some Supreme Court of India's landmark decisions that reinforced the supremacy of constitutional values over political expediency. The Chief Justice further highlighted recent transparency initiatives by the Supreme Court, such as the live-streaming of Constitution Bench hearings and the public disclosure of judges' assets. 'These are significant steps,' he said, 'to bolster public confidence through transparency. Judges, as public functionaries, are accountable to the people.' While acknowledging that 'no system is immune to flaws,' he emphasised that 'solutions must never come at the cost of judicial independence.' 'Judges must be free from external control,' maintained the CJI, calling for renewed commitment to reasoned judgments, recusal practices in case of conflicts of interest and ethical leadership from the top.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Himachal CM lays foundation stone for Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park, announces Rs 100 crore development push in Kangra
Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 4 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu laid the foundation stone of the Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park and several other development projects worth Rs 100 crore in Dehra, Kangra district. 'Inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several developmental projects worth Rs 100 crore in the Dehra assembly constituency of Kangra district. These various projects will play an important role in the all-around development of the area,' Sukhu in an X post said. Speaking to reporters at the event, CM Sukhu said, 'Who says 'Dehra koi nahi tera' (Dehra, no one is yours)?... After a few years, this entire region will be recognised for tourism. Safari will also be established here. We have declared Kangra as the Tourism capital, and this is the second step towards that, the first was the airport's expansion...' He added, 'The zoo and animal enclosure for which we laid the foundation stone here today will be ready within one year... We will soon bridge whatever gaps are left in Kangra's development works.' According to a post shared by CM Sukhu on X, the development projects are aimed at promoting overall growth in the region. The Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park at Bankhandi is being developed at a cost of Rs 619 crore. It will house 78 species, including Asiatic lions, hog deer, monitor lizards, crocodiles, gharials and various bird species. 'Additionally, Durgesh Aranya Wildlife Sanctuary will boost tourism activities and provide employment and self-employment opportunities to the local youth, thereby strengthening the local economy,' the X post said. The Chief Minister also distributed land allotment certificates to 89 Pong Dam settlers. Each family will receive Rs 3 lakh in financial aid for building houses, as per another X post by the CM. 'During my visit to Dehra, two daughters informed me that there was no means of transport available here during the rainy season. I want to assure that the construction of Nandpur bridge will be completed by December this year,' CM Sukhu wrote in the X post. While addressing the public gathering, CM Sukhu also criticised the previous BJP-led government and accused the Centre of ignoring the state's needs. He said, 'The previous double-engine government had looted the wealth of the state, and we have come to protect it. We want a medical device park, but not by looting the wealth of the state. We have also discussed with the Prime Minister to protect the interests of the state. We are fully committed to protecting your rights.' (ANI)
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Salvadoran court convicts 3 former army officers in the 1982 killing of 4 Dutch journalists
Three former Salvadoran military officers were convicted by a five-person jury late Tuesday for the 1982 killings of four Dutch journalists during the Central American nation's civil war. They received 15-year prison sentences. A jury made up of five women convicted the three men of murder in a lightning trial that began Tuesday (June 3, 2025) morning in the northern city of Chalatenango, said Oscar Pérez, lawyer for the Foundation Comunicandonos that represented the victims' families. Pérez said prosecutors had requested minimum 15-year prison sentences for all three. Convicted were former Defense Minister Gen. José Guillermo García, 91, former treasury police director Col. Francisco Morán, 93, and Col. Mario Adalberto Reyes Mena, 85, who was the former army commander of the Fourth Infantry Brigade in Chalatenango. García and Morán are under police guard at a private hospital in San Salvador, while Reyes Mena lives in the United States. In March, El Salvador's Supreme Court ordered that the extradition process be started to bring him back. Pérez said that in addition to the convictions of the former high-ranking officers, the judge condemned the government for the delayed justice and ordered the commander in chief of the armed forces, President Nayib Bukele, to issue a public apology to the victims. The Dutch TV journalists — Jan Kuiper, Koos Koster, Hans ter Laag and Joop Willemson — had linked up with leftist rebels and planned to spend several days behind rebel lines reporting. But Salvadoran soldiers armed with assault rifles and machine guns ambushed them and the guerrillas. García was deported from the U.S. in 2016, after a U.S. judge declared him responsible for serious human rights violations during the early years of the war between the military and the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front guerrillas. The prosecution of the men was reopened in 2018 after the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a general amnesty passed following the 1980-1992 war. It moved slowly, but in March 2022, relatives of the victims and representatives of the Dutch government and European Union demanded that those responsible for killing Jan Kuiper, Koos Koster, Hans ter Laag and Joop Willemson be tried. The United Nations Truth Commission for El Salvador, which was set up as part of a U.N.-brokered peace agreement in 1992, concluded there was clear evidence that the killings were the result of an ambush set up by Reyes Mena with the knowledge of other officials, based on an intelligence report that alerted of the journalists' presence. Other members of the military, including Gen. Rafael Flores Lima and Sgt. Mario Canizales Espinoza were also accused of involvement, but died. Canizales allegedly led the patrol that carried out the massacre of the journalists. Juan Carlos Sánchez, of the nongovernmental organization Mesa Contra la Impunidad, in comments to journalists, called the trial a 'transcendental step that the victims have waited 40 years for.' An estimated 75,000 civilians were killed during El Salvador's civil war, mostly by U.S.-backed government security forces. The trial was closed to the public.
