Weekly Legal Updates Jun Week 4

1. Former Gujarat IPS Officer sentenced to Life Imprisonment:

Former Gujarat cadre IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt has been sentenced to Life Imprisonment by the Jamnagar
Sessions Court of Gujarat finding him guilty in a 30 year old case of custodial death. The incident relates to
the death of one Prabhudas Madhavji Vaishnani in November 1990, which was allegedly due to custodial
torture. At the time Bhatt was the Assistant Superintendent of Police Jamnagar, who, along with other
officers, took into custody about 133 persons, including Vaishnani, for rioting during a Bharat Bandh.

2. Sperm Donor’s claim that he is legal parent of the child is correct: Australian High Court

The High Court of Australia has upheld the claim of a 'sperm donor' that he is the legal parent of the child
born by artificial insemination. The High court rejected the submission that the term "parent" excludes a
"sperm donor" and observed that the Section 60H of the Family Law Act is not exhaustive of the persons
who may qualify as a parent of a child born as a result of an artificial conception procedure. The High Court
of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia.

3. Chief Justice Of India writes to the Prime Minister for impeaching Justice Shri Narayan Shukla:

The CJI Ranjan Gogoi has written to the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi about initiating an
impeachment motion in Parliament against Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Shri Narayan Shukla. This is
in context of removing Justice Shukla for his alleged involvement in the Medical College Admission Scam.

According to Article 217 of the Indian Constitution a Judge may be removed from his office by the President
in the manner provided in clause ( 4 ) of Article 124 for the removal of a Judge of the Supreme Court; i.e. A
judge of a High Court (and Supreme Court) can only be removed by an order of the President passed after an
address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a
majority of not less than two third of the members of the House present and voting. Such removal can be
only on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity.