Who’s the father?

A woman filed a case in the family court, declaring that her husband had not fathered her child. The person who was allegedly the child’s real father approached the high court, challenging the jurisdiction of the family court to try that case. The Kerala High Court held that a family court could not entertain the case as it was meant for the settlement of matrimonial disputes. In this case, the dispute was about the paternity of a child born out of an extramarital relationship and was not even remotely connected to a marital dispute. Therefore, the case was outside the jurisdiction of the family court, the high court ruled (Bharat Kumar vs Selma Mini and another).

Man vs machine

The Southern Railways Licenced Porters’ Union challenged the railways’ decision to introduce baggage trolleys at stations on the ground that it would adversely affect the livelihood of the porters who belonged to the weaker sections of society. The Madras High Court held that while it was the railways’ responsibility to provide better facilities to the travelling public, it was also its duty to protect the interests of licenced porters. The court directed the authorities not to engage a contractor or a private agency for the maintenance of the trolley system (Southern Railways Licenced Porters’ Union and another vs Union of India).

Raise the bar

According to an Electrical Wire (Quality Control) Order passed by the Bureau of Indian Standards, firms dealing in the manufacture and sale of electrical switch gear had to compulsorily register themselves and follow the new manufacturing norms. It also called for the destruction of existing goods that didn’t conform to the new norms. A group of organisations that manufactured gear such as electrical motor starters, challenged the order, contending that it violated their fundamental right to carry on trade and business. Dismissing the petition, the Karnataka High Court held that it was the Bureau of Indian Standards’ job to prescribe norms to ensure safety and prevent the manufacture of inferior products. It was also the bureau’s responsibility to protect the public from getting fleeced (Sri Balaji Industries, Bangalore and others vs Union of India and others).

SOLON