Your weekly dose of legal insights, industry trends, and research-driven updates
1. Legal Tech Next Phase: AI Promises Faster, Cheaper and Inclusive Justice Delivery
Indian legal-tech startups are deploying artificial intelligence to modernize dispute resolution and access to justice. From contract automation to predictive analytics and online dispute platforms these tools promise faster, cheaper and more inclusive legal services. Industry voices stress, however, that adoption must be matched with safeguards on privacy, transparency and accountability. Legal experts note that AI systems still require human oversight particularly in sensitive adjudication. With mounting court backlogs and unmet legal needs observers see India’s “second act” of legal tech as a critical inflection point for efficiency and equitable access in the justice system.
2. IBC Action Triggered: Tribunal Rules Company Failed to Repay Loan and Admits Insolvency Case
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has admitted an insolvency petition against Keeler under Section 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) filed by a financial creditor over defaulted dues. The Tribunal found that the debt and default were established through loan documents and bank statements and dismissed Keeler’s objections based on alleged settlements holding that such claims lacked documentary proof. With the petition admitted, the NCLT declared a moratorium under Section 14 appointed an Interim Resolution Professional and directed public announcements inviting claims from creditors in accordance with IBC timelines.
https://ibbi.gov.in//uploads/order/ac946cfffd813bc7579a9ca705ce24ea.pdf
3. Delhi HC Cites IIT Delhi Report, Declares Signature View Apartments Structurally Unsafe and Beyond Repair
The Delhi High Court has dismissed an appeal by Man Mohan Singh Attri challenging demolition orders for Signature View Apartments constructed by DDA for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. A Division Bench led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya held that structural reports from IIT Delhi and other expert bodies confirmed the towers were unsafe for habitation. The Court ruled that MCD order under Section 348 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act was based on relevant expert material and could not be judicially substituted. Repair attempts were deemed cosmetic and the appeal was rejected without costs.
https://delhihighcourt.nic.in/app/showFileJudgment/68317092025LPA5332025_113728.pdf
4. Delhi HC Restores Students Right to Contest Dayal Singh College Polls After Clerical Error in Surety Bonds
The Delhi High Court has directed Dayal Singh College Election Committee to accept corrected surety bonds of two students Siya and Kajal Kumari whose nominations for president and vice-president posts were earlier rejected. Justice Mini Pushkarna held that the error mentioning their mothers’ names instead of their own was a minor clerical mistake and not a defect in the nomination forms. The Court instructed the college to update the list of candidates and ensure their names are included in the EVMs so they can contest the September 18 elections.
https://delhihighcourt.nic.in/app/showFileJudgment/59217092025CW144222025_141746.pdf
5. Delhi HC Allows Late Written Statement in AAJ Supply Chain v. Skylark, Imposes ?25,000 Cost
The Delhi High Court has set aside a Commercial Court order that refused to accept AAJ Supply Chain Management written statement as delayed under Order VIII Rule 1 CPC. Justice Girish Kathpalia noted that while summons were served in June 2024 ,legible copies of the plaint were provided only in October 2024 justifying some delay. The Court stressed that disputes should be resolved on merits not technical defaults but conditioned relief on payment of ?25,000 to Skylark Express. Failure to pay within a week will result in the written statement being struck off.
https://delhihighcourt.nic.in/app/showFileJudgment/60817092025CMM18272025_150822.pdf
6. Legal Tech Upgrade: Wolters Kluwer and ABC Legal Team Up to Digitize and Streamline Service of Process
Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. and ABC Legal Services have announced a collaboration to modernize service of process (SOP) delivery through digital integration. The partnership links Wolters Kluwer legal software with ABC nationwide service platform enabling law firms and corporate legal departments to track, receive and manage SOP electronically. The initiative aims to reduce delays, cut costs and improve compliance in litigation workflows. By digitizing a traditionally paper-heavy process, both companies say the solution will strengthen efficiency and transparency in how critical legal notices are served and managed.
7. SC: No OTS Without 5% Deposit – Borrower Application Incomplete Under SBI 2020 Scheme
The Supreme Court has set aside Andhra Pradesh High Court orders that directed reconsideration of Tanya Energy Enterprises’ application under SBI’s 2020 One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme. A bench led by Justice Dipankar Datta held that the borrower failed to comply with Clause 4(i) of the scheme which required an upfront deposit of 5% of the settlement amount, rendering the application incomplete. The Court ruled that mere exclusion from the “not eligible” category did not confer entitlement. SBI may now proceed with enforcement, though the borrower has been permitted to submit a fresh settlement proposal outside OTS 2020.
8. Regulatory Penalties on Mergers May Undermine Lawful Consolidations and Economic Growth, Forbes Analysis Warns
Forbes has cautioned that imposing punitive tax or regulatory measures on mergers and acquisitions risks undermining established legal frameworks governing corporate combinations. The analysis notes that excessive compliance burdens could disincentivize lawful restructuring that typically enhances efficiency, technology transfer and competition. From a legal standpoint such interventions may erode the predictability of antitrust jurisprudence by replacing judicial precedent with discretionary agency action. That shift, experts warn, could foster regulatory uncertainty, escalate litigation and chill legitimate transactions. While scrutiny of anti-competitive mergers remains essential, penalizing bona fide M&A activity may weaken investor confidence and long-term economic welfare.