Editors Guild Of India vs Union Of India
2023 Latest Caselaw 5250 Bom

                                                                     16-902-OSWPL-9792-2023.DOC




                                                                                                 Ashwini



                          IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
                                 ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION
                                       WRIT PETITION (L) NO. 9792 OF 2023


                       Kunal Kamra                                                     ...Petitioner
                             Versus
                       Union of India                                               ...Respondent

                                                       WITH
                                      WRIT PETITION (L) NO. 14955 OF 2023

                       Editors Guild of India                                          ...Petitioner
                             Versus
                       Union of India                                               ...Respondent

                                                       WITH
                                         CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
                                     WRIT PETITION (ST) NO. 14702 OF 2023

                       Association of Indian Magazines                                 ...Petitioner
                             Versus
                       Union of India                                               ...Respondent
         Digitally
         signed by
         ASHWINI
ASHWINI HULGOJI
HULGOJI  GAJAKOSH
GAJAKOSH Date:
         2023.06.08
         10:45:08
         +0530
                       Mr Navroz Seervai, Senior Advocate, with Arti Raghavan, Vrinda
                            Bhandari, Gautam Bhatia, Gayatri Malhotra, Abhinav Sekhri
                            & Tanmay Singh, i/b Meenaz Kakalia, for the Petitioner.
                       Mr Kapil Sibal, Senior Advocate, with Shadan Farasat, Abhik
                            Chimni, Natasha Maheshwari & Kunal Naik, i/b Bimal
                            Rajasekhar, for the Petitioner in WPL/14955/2023.
                       Ms Aditi Saxena, for the Petitioner in WPST/14702/2023.
                       Mr Anil C Singh, ASG, with Aditya Thakkar, Savita Ganoo, DP


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                                                     7th June 2023


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                                                    16-902-OSWPL-9792-2023.DOC




         Singh, Smita Thakur & Pranav Thakur, i/b AA Ansari, for the
         Respondents in WPL/9792/2023.



                               CORAM     G.S. Patel &
                                         Neela Gokhale, JJ.

                               DATED:    7th June 2023
 PC:-

1. The Petitions contain a substantive challenge to certain recent amendments to the Information Technology Rules. On the last occasion, the learned Additional Solicitor General had made a statement operative until 5th July 2023.

2. We propose to take up the Petitions for final disposal from 6th July 2023 onwards. The two fresh Petitions at Sr. No. 902, and Writ Petition (ST) No. 14702 of 2023 (not on board), both recently filed, are to be served in the course of the day today.

3. All replies are to be filed and served on or before 20th June 2023. Affidavits in Rejoinder, if any, are to be filed and served on or before 28th July 2023.

4. Since there are three Petitions, we do not propose to permit repeated arguments and counsel for the Petitioners must coordinate between themselves to divide the submissions accordingly so that there is no repetition. The hearing will take place on 6th July 2023. The Petitioner's counsel must complete their written submissions by 1.30 pm on 7th July 2023.

7th June 2023

16-902-OSWPL-9792-2023.DOC

5. We permit all concerned to file by 28th June 2023 in hard and soft copy--

(a) Advance concise notes of arguments not exceeding 20 pages in a font size not less than 12 pt Times New Roman. There are to be no extracts from judgments or documents in the submissions. References may be included in footnotes.

         (b)      Chronology of dates and events.

         (c)      A properly indexed and paginated compilation of

authorities proposed to be relied on. The soft copy must in particular not only be bookmarked but the index or table of contents page must be hyper-linked to the starting page of each of the compiled judgments. The relevant paragraphs must be shown in the index itself.

6. These are to be filed in the Registry by 28th June 2023. Soft copies may be made available to the Court Associate on a pen drive.

7. Separately, by 28th June 2023 we request the Registry to have the present records scanned and digitized. A copy of the final scanned and digitized PDF file will be made available to all advocates for convenience and free of charge.

8. On 17th July 2023, we will set dates for arguments on behalf all Respondents since we are told that learned Additional Solicitor General will be appearing in the matter.

7th June 2023

16-902-OSWPL-9792-2023.DOC

9. Registry will arrange to have the entire record of all filings digitized and properly bookmarked and indexed. Soft copies are to be made available to all the appearing Advocates.

10. In view of this, Mr Singh makes a submission that previous statement that he made will stand extended accordingly until 10th July 2023. The statement is accepted.

 (Neela Gokhale, J)                                        (G. S. Patel, J)





                               7th June 2023