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An unregistered agreement of sale is admissible as evidence of the contract in a specific performance suit, under the proviso to Section 49, Registration Act. Prosecution for obstructing public servant (S.186 IPC) requires mens rea and compliance with S.195 Cr.PC; absence renders proceedings an abuse of process. Freedom of Speech and Expression — Open Justice — Subjudice Principle — Contempt of Court – Such a direction, being a form of prior restraint, must satisfy twin tests of necessity and proportionality, applicable only in cases of real and substantial risk of prejudice to fairness of trial or proper administration of justice — Courts must be open to public observations, debates, and constructive criticism, even on subjudice matters, as open justice instills faith and checks judicial caprice Hostile witnesses — Effect — When a large number of witnesses, including eyewitnesses, turn hostile, prosecution case often collapses for want of evidence — While reasons for hostility can be varied (coercion, fear, monetary consideration, etc.), it cannot automatically lead to conviction based on prior S. 161 statements or IO’s testimony about such statements, as these are not substantive evidence — Court’s consternation at collapse of a serious case due to witness hostility cannot be a reason to convict on insufficient or inadmissible evidence, amounting to a moral conviction anathema to criminal jurisprudence. Sales Tax — Kerala General Sales Tax Act, 1963 (Kerala Act) — Section 5A — Tamil Nadu General Sales Tax Act, 1959 (Tamil Nadu Act) — Section 7A — Purchase Tax — Liability of assessee purchasing goods from dealers exempt from sales tax — Where goods are purchased from dealers who are exempt from payment of sales tax by virtue of notifications or exemptions under the Kerala Act or Tamil Nadu Act, such a purchase is considered a purchase of “goods, the sale or purchase of which is liable to tax” within the meaning of Section 5A of the Kerala Act or Section 7A of the Tamil Nadu Act

Estoppel–Concession–If one party abuses the concession then it is always open to the other party to revoke such concession but if one party avails the benefit and is acting on the same representation made by the other party then the other party who has granted the said benefit cannot revoke the same under the garb of public interest.

2008(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 304 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice A.K. Mathur The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Markandey Katju Civil Appeal Nos. 1215-1216 of 2001…

Cause of Action–It means a right to sue–It consists of material facts which are imperative for the plaintiff to allege and prove to succeed in the suit. Cause of Action–Agreement clause provides that a suit would lie in a court within the local limits of whose jurisdiction the cause of action has arisen, wholly or partly–Contention that as the agreement was executed in Hong Kong and hence suit could have been filed only in that country–Contention rejected. Costs–Imposition of the costs is the discretion of the Court concerned.

2008(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 288 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice C.K. Thakker The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Altamas Kabir Civil Appeal No. 5751 of 2007…

Medical Jurisprudence–By no norms a dead body would be skeletalized within a period of 3-4 days–it shall in ordinary course take at least few weeks. Murder–Acquittal–Police found a human skeleton–No DNA test conducted and investigating officer could not decipher as to whether dead body is of male or female. Disclosure Statement–Recovery of a weapon at instance of accused which has no nexus with cause of death of deceased in inadmissible in evidence.

2008(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 280 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Harjit Singh Bedi Criminal Appeal No. 620 of…

Service Matters

Industry–Law Department is not an industry within the meaning of Section 2(s) of the I.D. Act. Precedent–Reliance on the decision without looking into the factual background of the case before it, is clearly impermissible. Precedent–The enunciation of the reason or principle on which a question before a Court has been decided is alone binding as a precedent. Precedent–Judgments of Courts–Judges interpret statutes, they do not interpret judgments–They interpret words of statutes, their words are not to be interpreted as statutes.

2008(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 275 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Arijit Pasayat The Hon’ble Mr. Justice P. Sathasivam Civil Appeal No. 3021 of 2006…

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