SC ruling on Kashmir curbs shuns mechanical usage of laws

Jan 12, 2019
New Delhi: Justice N.V. Ramana, in the recent verdict on the restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir, has ruled on two crucial aspects – access to internet and imposition of Section 144 – having significance beyond the borders of the erstwhile state.

Justice Ramana, who was also a journalist for a brief period, introduced the verdict with few lines from the famous classic novel by Charles Dickens – ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ – and then delved into the crucial balance between liberty and security. He was calm and composed while reading out the verdict, which had many eager to see the court’s stand on this government decision. Especially, in the backdrop, where petitioners claimed that the restrictions paralysed seven million lives in the region.

In the verdict, Justice Ramana, the seniormost judge after the Chief Justice, recognised in the context of contemporary perspective, where overwhelming majority of Indian citizens use the internet as a tool to exercise freedom of speech and expression and also to carry out business to support their families, the authorities concerned cannot impose indefinite restrictions.

Justice Ramana also digs a little deeper into the relationship of the internet with other basic services, and indicated the internet as a modern wonder deeply connected with globalisation.

Justice Ramana was born in an agricultural family on August 27, 1957 in Ponnavaram Village, Krishna District. He enrolled as an advocate on February 10, 1983. He has practiced in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Central and Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunals. He has vast experience in cases connected with civil, criminal, constitutional, labour, service and election matters. He specialized in constitutional, criminal, service and inter-state river laws.

Justice Ramana was elevated as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court in September 2013, and then elevated as a Supreme Court judge in February 2014.

Justice Ramana also headed the bench which upheld the disqualification of 17 Congress-JDS MLAs in Karnataka, but allowed them to contest the bypolls on December 5. The bench observed that the political parties are indulging in horse trading and corrupt practices, due to which the citizens are denied stable governments. And, in the backdrop of such corrupt practices, Parliament should reconsider “strengthening certain aspects of the Tenth Schedule, so that such undemocratic practices are discouraged.”

Justice Ramana is also heading a five-judge bench examining the constitutional validity of the revocation of provisions of the Article 370. This is another crucial matter, as the opposition has vehemently criticised the Centre’s decision. This article gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir.

Justice Ramana has also functioned as Panel Counsel for various government organisations. He has functioned as Additional Standing Counsel for Central Government and Standing Counsel for Railways in the Central Administrative Tribunal at Hyderabad. He has also been Additional Advocate General of Andhra Pradesh. He was appointed as a permanent judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on June 27, 2000. IANS

IS claims 1st Indian suicide bomber was Keralite Christian converted to Islam; agencies begin probe

Thiruvananthapuram: The Central intelligence agencies have commenced a probe after an article in the IS mouthpiece 'Voice of Koharasan' mentioned that 'the first Indian suicide bomber for them was a Keralite...

IT sleuths seized our phones, cloned data, claim Oxfam, IPSMF

Days after the Income Tax Department carried out “surveys action” at their premises, Oxfam India and the Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF) alleged that the I-T personnel confiscated phones...

ISI & Khalistani connections of Goldy Brar, Bishnoi

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) The NIA sources have said that Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi gangs have contacts with Canada-based Khalistani elements and Pakistan-based ISI agents, and these gangs were...

Home Ministry all set to ban PFI after studying possible legal challenges

New Delhi: Days after the NIA and the ED raided several locations linked to the Popular Front of India (PFI) across the country, the Union Home Ministry is planning to...

Centre bans PFI, all its affiliates for 5 years. Here are key reasons

After two rounds of nationwide raids and arrests of over 240 members, the Centre on Wednesday banned the contentious Popular Front of India (PFI) and all its affiliates, excluding the...

Hundreds of jail police personnel go on mass CL in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: Hundreds of police personnel serving at various jails in Gujarat on Wednesday went on a mass casual leave demanding a pay hike at par with other police personnel and State...

Shia leaders demand death for Hafiz Saeed, seek justice for 26/11 victims

Lucknow: The All India Shia Husaini Fund members have demanded justice for the 26/11 Mumbai attack victims by hanging its mastermind, Hafiz Saeed. Shia religious leaders and intellectuals from different...

IIT-K panel to decide if Faiz poem is anti-Hindu

Kanpur, Jan 1 (IANS) In a seemingly bizarre development, the IIT in Kanpur has set up a panel to decide whether the poem "Hum dekhenge lazim hai ki hum bhi...

No internet in Kashmir hospitals despite govt claim

Jan 2, 2019 Srinagar:  Despite government's claim that Internet has been restored in most hospitals and health centres in Kashmir, the facility is yet to be restored in most hospitals....

Millions in sub-Saharan Africa need life-saving food aid: UN

Dec 2, 2020 Rome, Jan 2 (IANS/AKI) Millions of people will require life-saving food assistance in sub-Saharan Africa in the first half of this year amid surging hunger levels that...

RSS ideologue for removing ‘secular’ from Constitution preamble

  Jan 3, 2020 New Delhi:  "Sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic" is how India is referred to in the preamble of the Constitution. However, J. Nandakumar, a key RSS leader...

IIT-K tries to dilute Faiz controversy but probe still on

Jan 3, 2019 Kanpur: IIT-Kanpur is apparently caught in a bind over its decision to order a probe into whether poem "Hum dekhenge", written by Faiz Ahmad Faiz, is anti-Hindu...

Read Previous

Cong fact finding team wants JNU V-C dismissed

Read Next

Prashant Kishor thanks Congress for stand on CAA, NRC

WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com