Brief Summary
This video provides a comprehensive overview of the significant legal updates and judgments from July 2025. It covers the impeachment process initiated against Justice Yashwant Verma, the government's declaration of Saif Ali Khan's property as enemy property, the Supreme Court's stance on call recordings as evidence in matrimonial cases (Vibhor Garg v. Neha), key aspects of the Parliament's monsoon session, the ongoing debate about removing "Socialist" and "Secular" from the Preamble, and the resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
- Impeachment process of Justice Yashwant Verma initiated due to finding bundles of cash at his house after fire incident.
- Saif Ali Khan's asset declared as enemy property due to his grandmother's relation to someone who took Pakistani citizenship.
- Supreme Court clarified the admissibility of call recordings as evidence in matrimonial cases.
- Discussion on the monsoon session of Parliament, including types of sessions and key terminology.
- Debate on removing "Socialist" and "Secular" from the Preamble of the Constitution.
- Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned, highlighting the roles and constitutional articles related to the Vice President's office.
Legal updates July 2025
Priya introduces the video as a monthly legal update, designed to explain important judgments and legal news in a simple and accessible manner. The aim is to provide viewers with a comprehensive understanding of key legal developments in one place.
Impeachment of J. Verma
The video discusses the unprecedented impeachment process against High Court judge Justice Yashwant Verma. It began when a fire at his house revealed large sums of cash, prompting investigations by the Delhi Police, Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Sanjiv Khanna. A three-member inquiry committee was formed to investigate the matter. Justice Verma challenged the process in the Supreme Court, claiming insufficient opportunity to defend himself. The impeachment process, detailed in Articles 124 and 217 of the Constitution, involves a three-member committee appointed by the Chief Justice of India to investigate the allegations. If found guilty, the judge may be asked to resign, and if they don't, the Chief Justice can recommend impeachment to the President. A motion is then brought in either house of Parliament, requiring signatures from 100 Lok Sabha MPs or 50 Rajya Sabha MPs. If admitted, another three-member committee is formed. If the judge is found guilty, the motion must pass in both houses with a 2/3 majority, after which the President gives final approval for removal. The video notes that no judge has been officially impeached in India to date.
Saif's 'Enemy property' case
The video addresses the declaration of Saif Ali Khan's Rs. 15,000 crore asset as enemy property by the government. This stems from the Enemy Property Act passed after the 1965 war, which designates properties left behind by individuals who moved to Pakistan or China and took citizenship there as enemy property, granting the government control for revenue generation. The property originally belonged to Hamidullah Khan, the last Nawab of Bhopal. His eldest daughter, Abida Sultan, became the first heir but moved to Pakistan and obtained citizenship there. Her younger sister, Sajida Sultan (Saif Ali Khan's grandmother), took over the Bhopal property, which eventually passed to Saif and his siblings. Due to Abida's Pakistani citizenship, her heirs also claimed the property, leading to years of legal battles. A 2017 amendment to the law stated that even if a legal heir is living in India, they cannot claim rights to the property if the original owner took citizenship in Pakistan or China. Saif Ali Khan was given 30 days to appeal but did not, resulting in the property going under government control. The Indian government controls approximately 9000 such enemy properties, valued at around Rs 1 lakh crore.
Vibhor Garg v. Neha
The video discusses the Supreme Court judgment in Vibhor Garg v. Neha, a divorce case concerning the admissibility of call recordings as evidence. It distinguishes between normal and privileged communication, the latter being private and confidential conversations (e.g., doctor-patient, advocate-client, husband-wife) that are generally inadmissible in court. In this case, the husband sought to use call recordings of conversations with his wife as evidence, which the family court initially permitted. The wife appealed to the High Court, which ruled that call recordings done without consent are illegal and inadmissible, especially as privileged communication between spouses. The husband then appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court referenced Section 122 of the Indian Evidence Act, which generally prohibits secret recordings between spouses from being admissible, with two exceptions: cases between husband and wife, or when one has committed a crime against the other. The video also mentions the R M Malkani versus State of Maharashtra case, which set a three-fold test for the admissibility of recordings: relevance, clear identifiability, and no tampering. The Supreme Court clarified that in matrimonial cases, secretly recorded conversations are admissible due to the exception in Section 122, providing a clear precedent on the issue.
Monsoon Session 2025
The video discusses the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament, which includes 21 sessions and the introduction of new bills. Parliament sessions are meetings held at fixed intervals, as discussed in Article 85 of the Constitution, which mandates that there cannot be a gap of more than 6 months between any two sessions. Generally, there are three sessions: the budget session (longest and most important, involving the Union Budget), the monsoon session (introduction and passing of new bills, debate on national issues), and the winter session (discussion of new bills, review of government performance). There is also a Special Session of the Parliament, called in emergencies to discuss urgent matters of national importance. Key terms related to Parliament sessions include adjournment (temporary suspension), adjournment sine die (suspension for an indefinite period), prorogation (formal end of a session by the President), and dissolution (used only for Lok Sabha, either after 5 years or by special order of the President). Lok Sabha is considered a temporary house, while Rajya Sabha is a permanent house because it never dissolves.
Preamble Debate
The video addresses the recurring debate about removing the words "Socialist" and "Secular" from the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. It explains that "Socialist" means ensuring economic and social justice for all, regardless of wealth, and reducing the gap between rich and poor. "Secular" means that India does not favor any religion, and all religions are equal, with the Constitution being supreme. These words, though not originally part of the Preamble, were added by Indira Gandhi through the 42nd Amendment during the Emergency of 1976. Despite subsequent governments removing many amendments made during the Emergency, these two words were retained. The judiciary has repeatedly upheld the inclusion and interpretation of these words as valid. The Supreme Court, in the Kesavananda Bharati case, stated that socialism and secularism are part of the basic structure of the Constitution and cannot be amended or removed. The video concludes that even if these words were removed, India's commitment to equality, justice, and religious neutrality would remain, as these values are fundamental to the Constitution.
Vice President resigns
The video discusses the resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, emphasizing that the role of the Vice President in India is both symbolic and crucial. The Vice President's role is divided into two parts: serving as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (handling parliamentary functions, controlling debates, maintaining order) and acting as President in the absence of the President. Articles 67 and 91 of the Constitution are relevant here. Jagdeep Dhankhar addressed his resignation to the President under Article 67, citing health conditions. Article 91 states that if the Vice President resigns, the Deputy Chairman will temporarily handle the Rajya Sabha until a re-election is held within 6 months. The video presents a hypothetical scenario: if both the President and Vice President were to resign, the Chief Justice of India would become the acting President. This occurred when President Zakir Hussain died and Vice President BV Giri resigned to contest the presidential election, leading Chief Justice of India Justice Hidayatullah to become the acting President.
