Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer passes away

The Kerala Law Review with a deep sense of sorrow and grief, wishes to break to its readers, the news of the passing away of Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India and renowned jurist, Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer today afternoon. He was 99 going by his profile in the Supreme Court records and had just been felicitated in his centenary year by citizens of Kochi earlier in the month of November.

Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer

From playing a vital role in securing the passage of legislations in favour of the poor and oppressed classes as Kerala’s first Law Minister in the Communist Government, to giving path-breaking verdicts, voicing his opinions on causes that mattered to society and the nation, and penning 105 books and a colossal list of other published works, his contributions to the nation and society, far too numerous and groundbreaking to be recounted individually, will be etched in the hearts of his countrymen for all time.

After the dismissal of the Communist Ministry in 1959, he returned to active practice. In 1968, he was sworn in as a judge of the High Court of Kerala.  In the year 1973, he was sworn in as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India. 

He was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan in the year 1999. 

Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer who had been admitted to Medical Trust Hospital, Ernakulam since last Friday due to bad health, developed weakness on the left side of the body on Tuesday. After a CT scan, done on neurological advice, medication was started.'

He was put on a liquid diet through a nasal feeding tube since Monday, as he had been disinclined to take food orally for the past few days. He had high sodium levels and an abnormal heart rhythm.  Blood investigations however showed worsening renal parameters.

The end came today afternoon, at about 3.45 P.M which hospital authorities attributed to multiple organ failure.

at 3.45 pm due to multiple organ failure.

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Union Government defends practice of issuing coins having religious symbols embossed on them

The Union Government in an affidavit filed in a Public Interest Litigation instituted by Delhi residents Nafis Qazi and Abu Sayeed, through lawyer A Rasheed Qureshi in the Delhi High Court seeking withdrawal of coins having religious symbols embossed on them, has taken the stand that the Centre had powers under the Coins Act to issue coins to commemorate a particular historical or religious event. 

(Picture: Delhi High Court)

"It is submitted that the design of coins is the responsibility of the central government under Section 4 of the Coinage Act, 2011. It is further submitted that the design of bank notes is governed by the provisions of section 25 of the RBI Act, 1934 which provides that the design, form and material of bank notes shall be such as may be approved by the central government after consideration..”

"In the recent past also, the government of India has issued commemorative coins to mark landmark events such as 300th anniversary of Gurta-Gaddi of Shri Guru Granth Sahibji in 2008, 1000 years of Barihadeeswara Temple in 2010, birth centenary of Mother Teresa in 2010, birth centenary of Saint Alphonsa in 2009 and Bhagwan Mahavir in 2002.

"The commemorative coins have been issued under relevant provisions of the Coinage Act, 2011. As such, the issuance of such coins by the respondents is not in violation of any constitutional, statutory and contractual right of the petitioners," the affidavit said.

The petitioners have filed the petition seeking a direction to the RBI and the Finance Ministry to withdraw the coins brought out in 2010 and 2013 with religious symbols embossed on them.

The petition has come up before a Bench of the Delhi High Court comprising of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw.

Centre seeks Apex Court's permission to resume process of selection for the post of CVC; Bench posts matter for hearing on December 11

The Centre on Wednesday sought the Supreme Court's permission to resume the process for selection of the chief vigilance commissioner and a vigilance commissioner, two posts which have been lying vacant for months because of a petition in court questioning the NDA government's selection criteria. 

 

(Supreme Court of India)

 

Attorney General Mr. Mukul Rohatgi mentioned the matter before a Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu, which then posted it for hearing on December 11.

The appointment of the CVC was lying in limbo since the time the Supreme Court had in August admitted on its file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging that the Union Government was adopting a non-transparent, restrictive and non-uniform approach in selecting the CVC.

The Court had also criticized the government for allowing the short-listing to be done by senior bureaucrats in various ministries, which implied that there was no uniformity in the short-listing criteria.

The Centre had said it was in the process of short-listing 20 candidates from 120 names received by various ministries and that the job was being done by the cabinet secretary and 36 secretaries of other departments.

The AG had requested that the process of short-listing be allowed to go on but informed the Court that the government would not select the CVC till the Supreme Court finally decided the petition on the process of the CVC selection.