Top Legal Headlines - 15th February, 2021

NATIONAL NEWS SUMMARIES

1. Government issues SOP for Offices

With regards to the pandemic, the Union Home Ministry has issued a fresh SOP for the functioning of Offices. The new rules include the following and more:

• Offices in containment zones will remain closed.
• If one or two Covid-19 positive cases are found, that area of the office which was occupied by the person in the last 48 hours must be disinfected. Work can resume after the disinfection is done.
• If the cases reported are many, then the whole office area has to be disinfected. Work can resume after that.
• Office entrances must mandatorily provide for things of hygiene like the sanitizer.
• Cafeterias or stalls within the office premises have to ensure social distancing.

2. Karnataka High Court on KSLU

• A few days ago, the Karnataka High Court had quashed the circular of BCI and KSLU regarding the conduct of offline exams of the intermediate semesters of the 5 Years Course.
• After this judgment was given, the Court was requested to rule the same for the 3 Years LLB Course.
• When KSLU was asked about the conduct of their exams, KSLU replied by saying that the exams were supposed to start on Monday yes but now they have been postponed.

3. No study material would be allowed in AIBE

• The Bar Council of India issued a notice that from the AIBE -XVI onwards no study material, textbooks or notes would be allowed to be carried in the Examination Halls.
• However, Bare Acts without notes would be allowed.
• Earlier, candidates were allowed to carry all sorts of study material with them

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4. J&K Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 passed

• The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed recently by the Lok Sabha .
• The Bill aims to merge the cadres of the Civil Services Officers of the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram to the J&K Cadre.
• This will help post the Officers of these cadres to J&K.

5. 1 Year extension given to the Judge who gave the controversial POCSO Judgment

• Justice Ganediwala, who had given the controversial POCSO judgment , had been given an extension of 1 year only instead of two years as an Additional Judge.
• The extension of her judgeship had been recommended to the Centre in January also but was withdrawn after her controversial judgment and serious objection from other judges of the collegium.
• However, the recommendation was still made to the Centre which only agreed for 1 year as the Judge had given ‘insensitive' judgments.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS SUMMARIES

1. The Second Impeachment Trial of Trump

• After the January 6 attack on the Capitol, the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump had begun on the charges of inciting the violence.
• On Saturday, however, the United States Senate acquitted Donald Trump.
• Donald Trump called this trial 'yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history” of the US.

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2. Google and Facebook sued for monopoly over digital ads

• Alphabet, the parent company of Google, and Facebook have been sued by a US based newspaper organization.
• They have been sued for exercising monopoly over the digital advertising space.
• It has been contended that an important source of revenue for the newspapers has been adversely affected.

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