Top Legal Updates for February, 2026 I Feb 1st-15th I LegalWiki Updates!

Stay updated with the most recent and relevant developments in your practice area of law.

Constitutional Law

J&K&L High Court Protects Married Couple, Says Blocking Personal Choice Violates Dignity

The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh granted protection to a married couple who alleged threats from relatives after marrying against their families’ wishes. Read more.

No Automatic Relaxation for SC/ST Candidates in SFIO Prosecutor Appointment: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has held that SC/ST candidates do not possess a vested or enforceable right to seek relaxation of eligibility criteria in appointments to the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO). Read more.

Madras High Court Flags Unjust Enrichment in ₹1 Public Land Lease Case

The Madras High Court permitted SIPCOT to recover sub-leasing charges from a private firm that had leased 17.64 acres of public industrial land for ₹1 per year but was earning over ₹12.4 lakh monthly by sub-letting it. Read more.

Civil Law

Partition Decree Executable Only After Stamp Duty Payment: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court has held that a final decree in a partition suit becomes executable only after payment of the requisite stamp duty and proper engrossment on stamped paper. Read more.

Supreme Court Seeks Centre’s Response on Plea to Exclude Doctors from Consumer Protection Act

The Supreme Court sought responses from the Union Ministries of Health and Consumer Affairs on a plea seeking to exclude doctors from the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Read more.

Madras High Court Directs MS Dhoni to Deposit ₹10 Lakh for CD Transcription in Defamation Suit

The Madras High Court has directed cricketer MS Dhoni to deposit ₹10 lakh towards the cost of transcribing and translating CDs relied upon in his 2014 defamation suit against Zee Media and others over IPL betting and match-fixing allegations. Read more.

Criminal Law

Bombay High Court Seeks Details on Hate Speech Allegations Against Raj Thackeray, MNS

The Bombay High Court has sought specific details of alleged hate speech and threats by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray and party workers, while hearing a plea filed by Sunil Shukla, National President of Uttar Bhartiya Vikas Sena. Read more.

Madras High Court Upholds Joint Trial in POCSO Case, Says Child’s Interest Paramount

The Madras High Court has upheld a joint trial of two accused in a POCSO case, observing that the interest and welfare of the child victim outweigh the convenience of the accused. Read more.

Supreme Court Orders Release After Jharkhand Police Filed Successive FIRs Despite Bail

The Supreme Court ordered the immediate release of an accused after finding that Jharkhand Police registered successive FIRs to defeat an earlier bail order. Read more.

Arbitration

Courts can Extend Arbitral Tribunal’s Mandate Even After Delayed Award: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has held that courts can extend the mandate of an arbitral tribunal under Section 29A of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, even after an arbitral award is passed beyond the statutory time limit. Read more.

Delhi High Court Imposes ₹1 Lakh Costs for Repetitive Execution-Stage Objection to Arbitral Award

The Delhi High Court imposed costs of ₹1 lakh on a judgment debtor for raising a baseless and repeated objection during execution of an arbitral award, holding that the attempt amounted to an abuse of process and was hit by res judicata. Read more.

High Court Cannot Invalidate Earlier Arbitral Proceedings While Substituting Arbitrator: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has held that a High Court cannot declare earlier arbitral proceedings null while exercising powers under Section 15(2) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. Read more.

IPR

Belagavi Court Refuses Injunction Against Anthropic PBC in Trademark Suit

A Belagavi commercial court recently refused to grant an ex parte injunction to Karnataka-based Anthropic Softwares in its trademark dispute against US AI company Anthropic PBC over the mark “ANTHROPIC.” Read more.

Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar Moves Supreme Court in ‘Veera Raja Veera’ Copyright Dispute

Dhrupad vocalist Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar has approached the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court Division Bench order that set aside interim relief granted in his copyright dispute with AR Rahman over the song Veera Raja Veera from Ponniyin Selvan II. Read more.

Madras High Court Upholds Rejection of 7-Eleven’s ‘Big Bite’ Trademark in India

The Madras High Court upheld the rejection of 7-Eleven’s “Big Bite” trademark application, ruling that international reputation alone cannot establish goodwill in India for a passing off claim. Read more.

Family Law

Adopted Child Cannot be Denied Caste of Adoptive Parents: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court held that an adopted child is entitled to the caste status of the adoptive parents. Read more.

Wife Who Deserts Husband Not Entitled to Past Maintenance: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that a wife who deserts her husband without reasonable cause is not entitled to claim past maintenance for the period of separation. Read more.

“Not Emotions, Law is Supreme”: Telangana High Court Rejects Custody Claim in Illegal Adoption Case

The Telangana High Court has refused to grant custody of a child to a couple involved in an illegal adoption, holding that emotional bonding cannot override statutory safeguards. Read more.

Legal Updates

Thanya Nathan Becomes First Visually Challenged Judge in Kerala

Thanya Nathan has created history by becoming the first visually challenged person to be appointed to Kerala’s judicial services. Read more.

Uttarakhand UCC Amendment Introduces Up to 7-Year Jail Term for Forced Marriages, Live-In Offences

The Uttarakhand government has notified the Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Ordinance after receiving the Governor’s assent, introducing stricter penal provisions relating to marriage and live-in relationships. Read more.

Supreme Court Issues Circular Banning Spitting of Pan Masala, Gutka on Premises

The Supreme Court of India, on February 11, issued a circular warning against chewing pan masala, gutka, or tobacco and spitting within its premises. Read more.

Advocates Rights

Karnataka High Court Flags Dangerous Trend of Litigants Filing Criminal Cases Against Opposite Party’s Lawyers

The Karnataka High Court has flagged a dangerous trend of litigants implicating lawyers representing the opposite side in criminal cases to deter them from appearing in matters. Read more.

Long-Serving Court Employees Can’t be Removed Over Procedural Irregularities: Madhya Pradesh HC

The Madhya Pradesh High Court set aside the termination of several Class-III employees working in District Courts, holding that their removal after more than 22 years of service was legally unsustainable. Read more.

No Recognition for Evening, Online or Part-Time LL.B. Courses Since 2000–01: Law Minister Tells Rajya Sabha

The Union Law Minister informed the Rajya Sabha that evening, online, and part-time LL.B. courses have not been recognised in India since the academic year 2000-2001. Read more.

Women’s Rights

Rape Constitutes "Brutal Invasion" of Woman’s Dignity under Article 21: Chhattisgarh High Court

The Chhattisgarh High Court refused to set aside a man’s rape conviction, holding that the offence represents a serious assault on a woman’s dignity and a brutal infringement of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. Read more.

Marriage or Pregnancy Cannot Obstruct Education: MP High Court Directs College to Grant Attendance Relaxation

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that marriage and pregnancy cannot become barriers to a woman’s right to education. Read more.

Marriage Cannot Disqualify Daughters from Compassionate Appointment: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court directed the State to grant compassionate appointment to a woman whose claim was rejected solely because she married during the pendency of her application, holding that such exclusion violates the constitutional guarantee of equality. Read more.

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