India Supreme Court Advances Major Criminal, Cybercrime Rulings

The U.S. Supreme Court under Chief Justice Roberts and his Republican majority has been criticized for enabling President Donald Trump's expansive use of executive power, likening the situation to the Weimar-era German judiciary that undermined democracy and facilitated authoritarianism. Despite lower courts frequently ruling against Trump administration initiatives, the Roberts Court often overruled them, reinforcing what some view as an imperial presidency. In India, the Supreme Court has been active on multiple fronts: it upheld convictions in rape cases, considered gender neutrality under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, and addressed insurance claims for doctors who died during COVID-19 duties. The Indian Supreme Court also took suo motu cognizance of digital arrest scams involving forged documents and proposed a Central Bureau of Investigation probe. Meanwhile, Indian courts have seen significant cases including a sexual harassment investigation against Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, tax evasion cases, and a rejection of contempt proceedings against an advocate who attempted to throw a shoe at India's Chief Justice. These judicial developments reflect ongoing challenges to legal and democratic institutions in both the U.S. and India.