🏛️ Supreme Court & Constitutional Law
Clash Between RTI and Data Protection Law
The Supreme Court has agreed to examine the impact of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, on the Right to Information (RTI) Act and investigative journalism. On August 7, the Court sought a response from the Centre regarding a batch of pleas that challenge the amendments made to the RTI Act through the DPDP Act. The petitioners argue that classifying all data as “personal” could cripple transparency by removing the public interest safeguard for the disclosure of personal information, potentially gagging investigative journalists.
⚖️ High Court Rulings
Father Cannot Use Daughter’s PPF for Maintenance
In a significant family law ruling, the Delhi High Court held that a father cannot use the funds invested in his daughter’s Public Provident Fund (PPF) account to fulfill his individual legal obligation of paying maintenance to his daughter and estranged wife. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna observed that the father holds the investment only in a fiduciary capacity as a guardian. The Court directed the father to return the entire PPF corpus to his daughter along with 8 percent interest, emphasizing that a child’s money cannot be utilized to offset the father’s independent responsibility to pay maintenance.
🚨 Criminal Law & Bail Orders
Mumbai Court Denies Bail to TISS Student Over Sloganeering
A Mumbai Sessions Court denied anticipatory bail to a student from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) who allegedly raised slogans demanding the release of Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid during a campus event paying homage to G.N. Saibaba. Additional Sessions Judge VB Bohra noted that since the Supreme Court had previously denied bail to Imam and Khalid under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), students must respect the law of the land.
📚 Legal Conferences & Initiatives
First-Ever South Zone Conference on ‘Justice for Women’
Supreme Court Judge Justice B.V. Nagarathna is inaugurating the first-ever South Zone Regional Conference on “Justice for Women” in Bengaluru today, August 8. Jointly organized by the National Commission for Women (NCW), the Karnataka High Court, and the Karnataka Judicial Academy, the two-day conference will deliberate on critical issues such as women’s access to justice, workplace safety, victim compensation, and the implementation of women-centric laws.