The former Supreme Court judge lamented that all pillars of democracy are being taken over by reactionary elements and the State is transforming to a fascist Hindu one.
Within months of becoming the Chief Justice of India, Justice N V Ramana looks firmly in the saddle, in the backdrop of judicial and administrative decisions taken by him. He led from the front to end the 21-month impasse in the Supreme Court Collegium.
Justice Madan B. Lokur, the former Supreme Court judge, has expressed doubt whether a clause and a law dealing with sedition and terrorism would be scrapped altogether but has suggested measures to insulate them from misuse.
Several former Supreme Court judges and a former high court judge on Saturday called the sedition clause and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) unconstitutional.
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Four former Supreme Court judges Justices Lokur, Aftab Alam, Deepak Gupta and V. Gopala Gowda as well as the former Patna High Court judge, Justice Anjana Prakash, were speaking at a webinar hosted by the Centre for Judicial Accountability and Reform.
Former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B Lokur. | HT Photo
Former Supreme Court judges Aftab Alam, Madan B Lokur, Gopala Gowda and Deepak Gupta on Saturday raised concerns on the misuse of anti-terrorism laws in India, reported
The Hindu.
Justice Gupta said the courts should intervene and lay down guidelines on the use of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. “The UAPA should not remain in this form,” he said. Gupta was speaking at a virtual conference on “Democracy Dissent and Draconian Laws – do UAPA and sedition have a place in our statute books”, organised by the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms.