Justice Kamaljit Singh Garewal

Bihar came under total prohibition in April 2016. This was part of an abstemious chief minister’s social reform programme. He may as well have said: “Will no one rid me of these drinkers.” The government went into overdrive to get the state legislature enact a draconian law called the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016. Under this law, sentences are disproportionately harsh, police has power to arrest even people drinking privately at home, confiscate their properties and also detain all adults of the family present, including non-drinkers.

By Justice Kamaljit Sing...

Two generations of the state’s farmers have gone through immense hardships. The agrarian crisis has also changed the countryside, which is no longer green.

By Justice Kamaljit Sing...

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s suggestion to decriminalise possession of small quantities of drugs for personal consumption is a humane approach to what is truly a disease.

CJI NV Ramana’s call for Indianising the legal system should be taken seriously and can be done by simplifying the language of law and judgments, which are often long and prosaic and difficult for the common man to understand.

The executive's reluctance to appoint judges to tribunals is shocking and distressing. The executive should concentrate on running the country instead of obstructing judicial matters and disobeying the Supreme Court’s directions.

CJI NV Ramana said there are misconceptions of a judge having an “easy life”. Judges have lots of work—reading pleas, hearing cases, recording evidence, writing opinions and keeping abreast with law. Here is an insider’s view.

The apex court expressed anguish over an additional sessions judge being threatened by the police and an accused and given no protection. This is the appalling condition in district courts and is a colonial hangover.

Revamping the department of cooperation is a noble objective to strengthen the multi-state cooperative movement but could be open to misuse by politicians.