Tag: history

Straying from the Law to Cage Compassion – Supreme Court’s diktat on street dogs – Part 2

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Just when it seemed the Supreme Court had overreached beyond repair with its August stray-dog directions,

https://lawumbrella.org/2025/08/13/straying-from-the-law-to-cage-compassion-supreme-courts-diktat-on-street-dogs-of-national-capital/

the Court returned on 7 November with a new order that appears to walk back the worst excesses, only to quietly introduce an entirely new layer of illegality. Yes, the Court has now “restored” the lawful principle of sterilise–vaccinate–return mandated under the ABC Rules, 2023, implicitly acknowledging that the earlier “zero-release” diktat was untenable. But beneath this veneer of correction lies a fresh wave of judicial law-making: new categories of dogs invented out of thin air (“aggressive dogs”), sweeping bans on dogs in institutions not authorised by any statute, mass-removal directions never contemplated by Parliament, and an expansion of executive-style micromanagement across schools, hospitals, stadiums, highways, bus depots, and railway stations.

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In the Courtroom of Conscience: Reflecting on Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan

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In Shimla, there are two things as certain as the hills themselves: the old town hooter that sounds at ten, and Justice Tarlok Chauhan taking his seat at exactly the same hour. Sharp ten. No dithering, no delay, time, like law, had to be honored. For the bar, this daily certainty meant one thing: if you had a matter before Justice Chauhan, you’d better have your file and your wits in order well before the fog lifted from the Mall Road. Once seated, His Lordship moved through the cause list with a rhythm that was nothing short of orchestral. The courtroom would come alive with movement, petitions called, orders passed, arguments sliced clean with surgical clarity. It wasn’t just speed; it was discipline refined into tempo. Lawyers who fancied a leisurely morning found themselves sprinting through their submissions, their watches forever set to “Justice Chauhan Standard Time.” He didn’t simply hear cases; he breezed through them, but never at the cost of fairness or depth. To witness him in court was to witness the law in motion, not sluggish, not ceremonial, but alive, exacting, and infused with purpose.

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The Indian Constitution: A Masterpiece of Borrowed Wisdom and Indigenous Innovation

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The Indian Constitution is more than a legal framework—it is a testament to the nation’s ability to weave together diverse influences into a coherent whole. It is, in essence, a symphony of ideas, where the wisdom of the ages merges seamlessly with the demands of modernity. As I reflect on this magnificent document, I am reminded of a sculptor chiseling away at a block of marble, revealing a form that is not only beautiful but enduring, adaptable, and deeply reflective of the people it serves.

At its core, the Constitution is a polyglot—a creation born out of a dialogue between India’s ancient civilizational ethos and the great constitutional experiments of the world. It reflects the evolution of human governance, from the flickering flames of Magna Carta to the revolutionary principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity espoused during the French Revolution. Yet, it is uniquely Indian, embodying the spirit of a civilization that has, for millennia, placed a high value on justice, equity, and the welfare of all living beings.

In borrowing from these various traditions, the Indian Constitution becomes more than just a document. It becomes a living organism, growing and evolving as our nation changes. In the words of Justice Felix Frankfurter, “The ultimate touchstone of constitutionality is the Constitution itself and not what we have said about it.” It is in this spirit that we must explore how this monumental text has guided us, not just in times of prosperity, but in moments of profound challenge and transformation.

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