Flashback 2019: From Ayodhya Verdict to CJI office under RTI; here are Supreme Court’s 5 landmark judgments
The Supreme Court of India delivered many landmark verdicts. Many of these cases were delivered by the then Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi's tenure. Justice Gogoi retired on November 17. But before he vacated the office of the CJI, he had delivered major judgments. The former Chief Justice, Gogoi had taken over as the 46th CJI on October 3, 2018.
Here’s a recap of Supreme Court’s Top 5 Judgments:
Ayodhya verdict:
On November 9, a five-judge constitutional bench headed by CJI Gogoi pronounced its historic verdict on a batch of a petition against the 2010 Allahabad HC order in the politically-sensitive Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case.
The top court ruled that possession of Ayodhya's contested property will vest in a trust to be formed by the Central government and also directed that representation in the trust may be given to Nirmohi Akhara, a litigant in the case.
Key points of the judgment:
The disputed site was given to the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and the Centre was asked to build trust for temple construction. The top court also directed allotment of alternative land to Muslims to build a new mosque. A 5-acre land to be handed over to the Sunni Waqf board at a prominent place for building the mosque.
This apart, the apex court asked the Centre to frame scheme within 3 months and set up a trust for construction of a temple. The SC dismissed the plea of Nirmohi Akhara seeking control of entire disputed land.
Rafale review petition:
On November 14, the apex court had dismissed a review petition seeking a court-monitored criminal probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal between the government of India and France's Dassault Aviation.
Three -judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by the then CJI Gogoi had dismissed the review pleas in a unanimous judgment. The review petition was jointly filed by Prashant Bhushan, Arun Shourie, and Yashwant Sinha.
Key Judgment:
The apex court had dismissed review petition seeking criminal probe into the Rafale jet deal.
The 3-judge bench delivered a unanimous verdict.
The development came as a relief for Modi-government.
Sabarimala Review Petition:
The top court on November 14 had referred to a larger constitution bench a batch of review petitions against its September 2018 verdict.
While reading out the verdict, the then CJI Gogi has said, “The entry of women into places of worship is not limited to this temple only. It is also involved in the entry of women into mosques.”
The bench led by Justice Gogoi had passed the order on a series of petitions seeking reconsideration of its September 2018 judgment that lifted the bar on menstruating women from worshipping in the Sabarimala temple in Kerala.
The review petitions in Sabarimala Case is likely to be listed before 7-judge-bench in January 2020.
CJI office under RTI:
The apex court had held that the office of the Chief Justice of India is a public authority under the Right to Information Act (RTI).
"Transparency doesn’t undermine judicial independence," SC had said in a unanimous verdict on November 13 as it upheld the Delhi HC’s judgment which ruled that office of the Chief Justice comes under the purview of RTI.
It also had dismissed the three appeals filed by the secretary-general of the Supreme Court and the Central Public Information officer of the top court.
Contempt case against Rahul Gandhi
The then Chief Justice had also announced the judgment on a criminal contempt plea against Congress Rahul Gandhi for attributing the ‘chowkidar chor hai’ remark to the apex court.
The plea was filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi against.
The top court had closed the contempt proceedings against Rahul Gandhi after the Congress leader had tendered his ‘unconditional apology’.
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First published: 24 December 2019, 14:13 IST