Kerala govt. challenges CAA in Supreme Court
- Kerala became the first State to join citizens across the country to challenge in the Supreme Court the constitutionality of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, which fast- tracks grant of citizenship on the basis of religion.
- The original suit has been filed under Article 131 of the Constitution. The SC has “original” jurisdiction in disputes between States or the Centre and State(s). The Article allows it to directly take cognisance of such a dispute.
- Kerala said in its suit that it would be compelled under Article 256 to comply with the CAA, which was “manifestly arbitrary, un- reasonable, irrational and violative of fundamental rights”.
Iran nuclear deal: EU launches dispute mechanism
- The three countries, which signed the international agreement in 2015 along with the U.S., Russia and China, said in a letter to the European Union’s foreign policy chief that they had no choice but to trigger the deal’s “dispute mechanism,” given Iran’s ongoing transgressions.
- The three said they rejected Tehran’s argument that Iran was justified in violating the deal because the U.S. broke the agreement by pulling out unilaterally in 2018.
- EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who coordinates the agreement, said the pres- sure on Iran from Europe does not mean sanctions will automatically be slapped on the Islamic Republic.
SC rejects curative pleas of 2 Nirbhaya death row convicts
- The curative petitions of Vinay Sharma, 26, and Mukesh Singh, 32, who were sentenced to death in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, were rejected by a five judge Supreme Court Bench, led by Justice N.V. Ramana, on Tuesday.
- In a three page order, the Bench concluded, after an in chamber consideration that began about 1.45 p.m., that there was no merit in their pleas to spare them from the gallows.