violation of natural justice - The Legal Chamber

Supreme Court: Person Not Made Party in Case Can Challenge Order That Harms Him

27Feb

By The Legal ChamberNo Comments

Supreme Court

Supreme Court: Person Not Made Party in Case Can Challenge Order That Harms Him

This Supreme Court held that the bar against intra-court appeals under the Allahabad High Court Rules must yield to natural justice. Where a Single Judge's order prejudices a non-party, that person can appeal with leave. The Court reaffirmed that procedural rules cannot thwart the right to a remedy (ubi jus, ibi remedium) for affected persons. Facts Of The Case: A fair price shop license granted to Respondent No. 1 was revoked by the licensing authority for breaching its terms and conditions. Pursuant to this revocation, the license was allotted to the Appellant, Abhishek Gupta. Respondent No. 1 challenged the revocation order and its appellate affirmation before the Allahabad High Court by filing a writ petition. Critically, the Appellant, who was the current allottee of the shop ...

Supreme Court Curbs “Prove Prejudice” Rule: A Landmark Win for Natural Justice

The Supreme Court ruled that violating mandatory procedural safeguards in disciplinary inquiries, like failing to question an employee on adverse evidence, inherently constitutes prejudice. Relying on undisclosed material, such as a vigilance report, to enhance punishment also violates natural justice. No independent proof of prejudice is required for such fundamental breaches. Facts Of The Case: The appellant, K. Prabhakar Hegde, was a senior officer and Zonal Head of Vijaya Bank (which later merged with Bank of Baroda). In 1999, he was served with notices alleging irregularities in sanctioning temporary overdrafts to various parties. Formal disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him in 2001. An inquiry officer was appointed, who submitted a report holding the charges proved. N...

No Pay Cut Without a Chance to Argue: Supreme Court Sides with Ex-Navy Personnel Against Bank

The Supreme Court held that pay fixation of re-employed ex-servicemen is governed solely by government guidelines, which banks cannot override. It ruled that reducing pay without providing an opportunity of hearing violates principles of natural justice, rendering such an administrative action legally unsustainable. Facts Of The Case: After retiring from the Indian Navy, the appellants were re-employed by Punjab National Bank between 2015-2017 as Single Window Operators. Their initial pay was fixed at a higher amount, with four appellants receiving ₹40,710 and one receiving ₹34,160. However, following a 2018 clarification from the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) that capped the maximum basic pay for ex-servicemen at ₹31,540, the bank issued a circular and subsequently reduced the appella...