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Artificial Intelligence (AI) — Use in Legal Proceedings — Reliance on AI-generated judgments by a court is a serious matter concerning the integrity of the judicial process — Such judgments, if non-existent or fake, amount to misconduct rather than a simple error of judgment — Supreme Court orders examination of consequences and accountability for such practices — Notice issued to the Attorney General, Solicitor General, and Bar Council of India to address this institutional concern. Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) / Power Supply Agreement (PSA) — Interpretation of Contract — Surrounding Circumstances — Evidence Act, 1872, Sections 92, 94, 95 — Contractual terms can be clarified by attending circumstances and conduct of parties, even if contract is reduced to writing, to give meaning to terms that may otherwise be meaningless or unworkable. Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 31(7)(a) — Interest awarded by Arbitral Tribunal — Contractual bar — Where a contract expressly prohibits the award of pre-award and pendente lite interest, an Arbitral Tribunal cannot award such interest, even if termed as compensation, as the arbitrator is bound by the terms of the contract. Contract Act, 1872 — Section 133 — Discharge of surety by variance in terms of contract — A variance made without the surety’s consent in the terms of the contract between the principal debtor and the creditor discharges the surety only with respect to transactions occurring subsequent to the variance. The surety remains liable for the original amount guaranteed. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 — Committee of Creditors (CoC) — Commercial Wisdom — Legislative intent to vest decisive authority in CoC, which comprises financial creditors who bear economic consequences of failure — Decisions on viability, valuation, and haircuts are commercial, not judicial — Courts do not substitute their assessment for that of the CoC — Adjudicatory authority performs a supervisory role, ensuring statutory compliance and procedural fairness, but refrains from second-guessing economic bodies.

Criminal Law–Murder–Common intention–Prosecution case that appellant alongwith other accused murdered the deceased–Evidence of PWs 2 and 3 did not attribute any overt act to the appellant–Mere fact that he was in the company of accused who were armed would not be sufficient to attract Section 34 I.P.C.–It is undisputed that appellant was not armed and he has no animosity with the deceased

2009(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 518 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dr. Arijit Pasayat The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly Criminal Appeal No. of…

Co-sharer–When a co-sharer sells his share in the joint holding or any portion thereof and puts the vendor into possession of land in his possession what he transfers is his right as a co-sharers in said land and right to remain in its exclusive possession till joint holding is partitioned amongst all co-sharers—Sale of subsequent portion of land out of joint holding by the co-owners is nothing but a sale of a share out of the joint holding and is pre-emptible under Section 15(1)(b) of Act

2009(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 514 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dr. Arijit Pasayat The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dr. Mukundakam Sharma Civil Appeal No. 321…

Will can be proved by examining at least one witness–Alongwith it has to be shown that it was free from suspicious circumstances–Transfer of Property Act, 1882, Section 3–Evidence Act, 1872, Section 68–Succession Act, 1925, Section 63(c).–It may be true that deprivation of a due share by the natural heir by itself may not be held to be a suspicious circumstance but it is one of the factors which is taken into consideration by the courts

2009(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 502 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Cyriac Joseph Civil Appeal No. 7434 of 2008…

Accident–Gratuitous passengers–About 30-40 persons were travelling in the tempo truck–All 30-40 persons by no stretch of imagination could have been the representatives of the owners of goods. Insurance company not liable Accident–Ordinarily an allegation made in FIR would not be admissible in evidence per se but tribunal would be entitled to look into same where allegations made in FIR had been made a part of the part of claim petition.

2009(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 498 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Cyriac Joseph Civil Appeal No. 7399 of 2008…

Service Matters

Contention that prior to the amendment rules, the promotion to the cadre of District Judges was based on the principle of “Seniority-cum-merit” and now as per amended rules pursuant to the directions of Supreme Court, the principle has now been changed to “merit-cum-seniority” and this has seriously affected the rights of the members of the Civil Judges (Senior Division)–Contention rejected

  2009(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 495 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan The Hon’ble Mr. Justice P. Sathasivam The Hon’ble Mr. Justice…

Mortgage–Whether a document is mortgage by conditional sale or a sale with a condition of repurchase is a vexed question–One of the ingredients for determining the true nature of transaction, therefore, is that the condition of repurchase should be embodied in the document which effects or purports to effect the sale–Indisputably, the said condition is satisfied– Transfer of Property Act, 1882, Mortgage–In a case where deed of mortgage is executed with a condition of repurchase, the amount of consideration remains the same.

2009(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 489 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice  S.B. Sinha The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Cyriac Joseph Civil Appeal No. 7400 of 2008…

Interest Law–Interest– Starting Point–Question arises as to from which date interest would be paid–Starting point is on completion of one month from the date on which claim fell due–It cannot be the date of accident–It has to be taken to be the date of adjudication of the claim– Workman’s Compensation Act, 1923, Sections 3, 4A(3)(a). 

2009(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 479 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before  The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Arijit Pasayat The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Mukundakam Sharma Civil Appeal No. 6691 of 2008…

Succession Law–Will– Probate of–A probate when granted binds the whole world–It is a judgment in rem–The Executor, therefore, has to administer the estate of the testator in terms of the Will and not on the basis of the settlement arrived at by and between the parties which would be inconsistent with the terms of the Will–In case of any conflict between the terms of the Will and the settlement, the former will prevail

2009(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 482 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha The Hon’ble Mr. Justice  Cyriac Joseph Civil Appeal No. 6575 of 2008…

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