Law & Justice This Week: Big Wins, Court Orders & Legal Milestones [December 15- December 21, 2025]

1. Supreme Court Flags Judges Passing Orders on Eve of Retirement: The Supreme Court expressed concern over a growing trend of judges delivering controversial or questionable orders just before demitting office, calling it an unhealthy judicial practice.

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2. Supreme Court Pushes ECI on Electoral Roll Revision Deadlines: The Supreme Court asked the Election Commission of India to consider extending deadlines for electoral roll revisions in Kerala and Uttar Pradesh amid concerns over voter exclusion.

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3. Supreme Court Says Dowry Persists Despite Law: The Supreme Court observed that dowry continues to persist in Indian society in various forms, undermining constitutional rights to equality and dignity, while restoring a conviction in a dowry-death case. The court directed educational reforms, better enforcement mechanisms, training for police and judiciary, and awareness programmes to curb the practice, and asked for periodic review of dowry-related case backlogs.

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4. Husband’s Financial Dominance Not ‘Cruelty’: The Supreme Court held that monetary and financial control by a husband over his wife, including asking her to maintain expense accounts or sending money to his family, does not by itself constitute cruelty under Section 498A IPC without specific evidence of tangible harm, and quashed the FIR lodged against him.

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5. Stray Dog Row| SC Pushes Back on ‘Inhuman’ MCD Rules Claim: The Supreme Court refused to immediately intervene against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s rules on stray dogs, saying it will examine the competing claims of “humanity” by playing videos at the next hearing on January 7, and deferred the matter for further consideration.

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6. ED Challenges Trial Court Order in National Herald Case: The Enforcement Directorate moved the Delhi High Court against a trial court order in the National Herald money laundering case involving Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

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7. Madras HC Warns Officials in Karthigai Deepam Contempt Case: The Madras High Court cautioned Tamil Nadu officials that citing law and order concerns cannot become a “fig leaf” to bypass court directions in the Thiruparankundram Karthigai Deepam dispute. Also, the high court division bench reserved its orders in the appeal against the December 1 single judge order allowing Deepam to be lit on Deepathoon.

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8. ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ Slogan Not Protected Speech: The Allahabad High Court denied bail in the Bareilly violence case, holding that slogans calling for beheading cannot be protected as free speech under the Constitution.

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9. Rahul Gandhi Citizenship Case Shifted Out of Raebareli: The Allahabad High Court transferred a criminal complaint against Rahul Gandhi to Lucknow after allegations that lawyers created an atmosphere of intimidation in the Raebareli courtroom, making a fair hearing impossible.

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10. Temporary Worker Entitled to Maternity Leave: The Bombay High Court held that a woman employed on a temporary basis is entitled to maternity leave benefits under the Maternity Benefit Act, even though her service had intermittent breaks, emphasizing that temporary status does not deprive statutory maternity protections.

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11. Stridhan or Gifts from Parents Not Income to Deny Maintenance: The Delhi High Court held that stridhan or gifts received by a wife from her parents cannot be treated as her income for the purpose of denying or reducing maintenance, reaffirming that maintenance obligations under family law cannot be diluted by categorising such gifts as earnings.

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