Tamil Nadu changes lawyers for bungling in Supreme Court

• The Supreme Court had pulled up Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and Shipping Minister T.R. Baalu Aug 4 for indeterminately delaying their counters to a contempt notice issued Oct 1, 2007.

  The court threatened to issue arrest warrants in the event of a further failure to respond to the notice.

  The apex court had initiated suo motu action after the state government organised a shutdown to protest against the judiciary's 'interference in legislative preserves of elected representatives with regard to the Sethusamudram Project'.

  Karunanidhi called off his hunger strike after the Supreme Court came out strongly against him and wondered if there was a constitutional breakdown in Tamil Nadu.

Contempt of Court

• Taking strong exception to the insinuation by members of Boss music school against Bombay high court judges, the Supreme Court on Friday issued contempt notice to them with a warning that failure to respond within 10 days would lead to their arrest.
• Leila David and Annette Kotian, members of Vasai-based Boss Music School, had filed petitions seeking arrest of 10 HC judges for allegedly not hearing their matter “in a free and fair manner”.
• “If you don’t reply on or before September 10 you will be arrested and produced before the court and you will not be released,” the bench said. The two women, who argued their case themselves, refused to withdraw the charges against the judges.
• The judges also took exception to their plea that the CJI should withdraw from the bench hearing their petition. “That I will decide. Choose your words carefully otherwise you have to face the consequences,” CJI Balakrishnan told them.
  
• “We have perused the allegations which are very serious in nature. We have spent time on the two petitions. The allegations amount to contempt of court,” the CJI added.