National Judgments/ Orders

Notice issued to social media sites on inaction over availability of rape videos

The Supreme Court has asked search engine and social media websites like Google and Facebook to explain why their platforms have been hosting illegal activities like rape videos. A notice has been issued to service providers to not allow subscribers to circulate objectionable material on their websites. The reported cases of cyber crimes have surged […]

Constitution of all-India birth database to check female foeticide ordered

A Supreme Court bench has passed 16 directions to ensure effective implementation of the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act and rules under it. All states and the Union Territories in the country have been asked to maintain a centralized database of civil registration records so that information can be made […]

Governments directed to enforce provisions of SC/ST Act strictly

Responding to a petition by voluntary organizations lamenting the non-implementation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the Supreme Court took cognizance of the fact that no special officers, nodal officers or protection cells had as yet been set up for the protection of members of the SC and ST […]

Regulation of advertisement relating to sex-selection directed

In ongoing hearings before the Supreme Court pursuant to the discussion on sex-selection, the Union government had submitted that despite auto-blocking a list of words, one could still avail of information pertaining to gender-tests on the internet. The respondent companies suggested that such searches ought to be protected under the right to freely access information. […]

Abortion in the 24th week of pregnancy permitted

In a case where the petitioner apprehended danger to her life after recognizing that her fetus was diagnosed with ‘anencephaly’, which leaves foetal skull bones unformed, the Supreme Court relied on the report of a medical board to warrant the conclusion that continuing the pregnancy posed a risk to the life of the pregnant woman. […]