Highlights: SC dismisses plea against appointment of Justice Gogoi as next Chief Justice

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to refer its 2006 verdict on benefits of quotas in job promotions for SC/ST employees to a seven-judge bench. In a separate hearing, the apex court agreed to live-streaming and video recording of its proceedings.The Supreme Court is delivering verdicts in several key cases today. In the Aadhaar case, a five-judge bench of the court upheld its constitutional validity by a majority judgment. The court is expected to decide on whether an appellate court’s stay on conviction of a disqualified lawmakers would revive their membership of parliament or legislatures and hear senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel’s plea against the Gujarat high court order refusing to quash a BJP leader’s petition against his election to the Rajya Sabha.Here are the live updates for SC verdicts on SC/ST quota, Ahmad Patel’s plea and live streaming in court:

5:30 pm IST

Live streaming will remove ‘secrecy’ in court proceedings: Santosh Hegde

Retired Supreme Court judge N Santosh Hegde on Wednesday said live streaming and video recording of court proceedings would remove ‘secrecy’, bring in more transparency and create confidence in the minds of people in the institution of judiciary.

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4:50 pm IST

Senior lawyers endorse SC decision on reservations in job promotion

Senior lawyers on Wednesday applauded the Supreme Court’s decision not to refer its previous order on quota in job promotion to a larger bench and upheld the previous M Nagraj verdict dealing in reservation in job promotion.

Supreme Court lawyer Manoj Gorkela applauded Wednesday’s decision and termed it a big relief for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) people, reports ANI.

4:10 pm IST

Adultery law verdict tomorrow: SC

Supreme Court to deliver its judgement on the petition challenging the validity of Section 497 (Adultery) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on Wednesday, reports ANI.

1:44pm IST

Decide afresh maintainability of plea challenging Ahmed Patel’s election: SC to Gujarat HC

Supreme Court asks Gujarat High Court to decide afresh the maintainability of a plea challenging election of Cong leader Ahmed Patel to Rajya Sabha.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said Patel’s plea against the petition of BJP leader Balwantsinh Rajput required “de novo” (fresh) adjudication.

1:27pm IST

SC dismisses plea against appointment of Justice Gogoi as next CJI

The Supreme Court dismissed a plea challenging the appointment of Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the next Chief Justice of India.

“We are of the view that it is not the stage to interfere (with the appointment),” a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said. The court said that the petition was “devoid of merits”.

12:45pm IST

Supreme Court okays live streaming of its proceedings

Supreme Court okays live streaming of its proceedings. Hope rules are framed expeditiously, says court.

“Sunlight is best disinfectant,” says Justice DY Chandrachud, one of the three judges said in his separate but concurring judgment.

12:25pm IST

SC judgement welcome to a certain extent : Mayawati on SC/ST quot for promotion in govt jobs

“Judgement welcome to a certain extent since SC didn’t impose a restriction in this regard and clearly said that centre or state governments can provide reservation if they want,” says Mayawati on the Supreme Court refusing to refer the 2006 verdict in Nagraj case on reservation in promotion for SC/ST in government jobs to a larger bench.

11:31am IST

Aadhaar is constitutionally valid: Supreme Court

Aadhaar is constitutionally fair and gives “dignity to the marginalised”, ruled the Supreme Court on Wednesday, delivering its verdict on a batch of petitions against the unique identification project.

But the top court ruled that the order to link all mobile phone connections to Aadhaar was ‘unconstitutional’. The court also held that there was no need to link bank accounts with the unique identification number.

Read: PAN, IT returns- where all Aadhaar is needed now

10:41am IST

Nagaraj judgement does not need to be referred to a larger bench, rules SC

In a unanimous verdict, the court concludes the Nagaraj judgement does not need to be referred to a larger bench.

“There is no need for quantifiable data to give reservation,” the court says.

10:35am IST

Justice Nariman begins reading out judgement

Justice Nariman begins reading out judgement on granting quota benefits in government job promotions for SC/ST employees.

10:30am IST

SC to give verdict on SC/ST quota in promotions

The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce its verdict on a batch of petitions seeking that a seven-judge bench reconsiders the court’s 2006 judgement which had put conditions for granting quota benefits in job promotions for SC/ST employees.