• NATIONAL

Capt Gopinath for legal framework to prevent monopoly in aviation sector

The new Government to be sworn in soon must create a legal framework to prevent a monopolistic regime in the aviation sector, a top industry official said.

"The new Government must immediately create a legal framework for preventing a monopoly in the aviation sector. The Competition Commission should be provided with legal teeth to deal with monopolistic situations," Deccan Express Logistics' Chairman and Managing Director, Capt G R Gopinath, said.

Asserting that competition was needed and should be welcomed in the private sector, Capt Gopinath said that, "you must privatise but not monopolise. The airline sector needs to be kept out of a monopolistic regime."

Modi's problems legal, not political

His policemen and a minister have been in jail. An advertisement issued by the Gujarat BJP on the day of polling on April 30 showed

the photograph of Chief Minister Narendra Modi alongside handcuffs and prison bars. The screaming question in Gujarati was, "Our brother Narendrabhai in jail! Do you accept that? If not, then throw out the Congress government at the Centre".

Actually, Modi's main problem now is coming from the legal front. He seemed to be in a hurry to move to New Delhi so that he could somehow change the direction of the legal missiles being fired at him, mostly arising as a result of the Gujarat riots of 2002.

The provocation for the BJP advertisement was the Supreme Court order on April 27 of an inquiry by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into Zakia Jafri's complaint against 62 persons, including Modi. There is a political element in this legal problem for Modi because Zakia's husband Ahsan Jafri, a former Congress MP, was slain along with 67 others in the Gulbarg Society massacre. Since he would have been hauled up for contempt if he had attacked the SC, Modi made Kapil Sibal his target for having said on April 11 that Modi should be ready to go to jail. Modi played a martyr here by saying he was willing to go to jail for the sake of the people of Gujarat.

NGO to run legal aid cell on child rights

An NGO here will head a child rights legal aid cell and work closely with various government departments to uphold the rights of children and punish violators of these rights.

The All India Legal Aid Cell will be run by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) under the aegis of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and the Delhi Legal Services Authority.

Announcing the initiative, member secretary of NALSA U. Saratchandran said the legal aid cell would collaborate with the various government departments like the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Home Affairs, Women and Child Development and Social Justice and Empowerment.

"Besides the various government departments, the cell will also work with different commissions in seeking information about government schemes and orders to uphold child rights," Saratchandran said.

BBA founder Kailash Satyarthi said: "The Legal Aid cell on child rights is a new dawn in the history of legal aid in India. It will be a one stop point to initiate legal action against violators of children related laws and access to rehabilitation and other social integration schemes for children."

• INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Legal Aspects of HR Costs Reduction

In the current difficult economic conditions many employers have to consider different cost reduction options in order to save their businesses from collapse. HR costs are usually one of the first to be considered, since they constitute one of the largest expenditures for employers. However, each company has its own structure of HR costs and hence should make a decision regarding them that best corresponds to its own needs, e.g., whether to transfer employees to a part-time work schedule, or to reduce salaries, bonuses or an employee's list of social benefits, or even resort to more severe measures and carry out staff redundancies. It should be noted, however, that before taking any steps on HR costs reduction (or "optimization"), the legal aspects -- as well as HR management aspects -- should be considered.

In my experience, not paying sufficient attention to the legal aspects may adversely affect the whole process of HR costs reduction and lead to additional expenses for the employer. It is therefore highly recommended for lawyers to be engaged in the process of elaborating an HR cost reduction plan, since they will be able to check that it is in compliance with all legal requirements as well as propose additional options or approaches that may not previously have been considered.

Craigslist Blasts SC Attorney Over Legal Threats

The gloves are off, it seems, in the controversy over Craigslist's "erotic services" section. The site's been under fire for the slew of sex-related ads in the category, with several state leaders calling for action and even threatening a criminal investigation against the company. Now, just days after deciding to shut the section down, Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster is getting back in the ring and demanding an apology.

Craigslist's 'Erotic Services' Controversy

It was just last Wednesday that Craigslist announced it would bow to the pressure and turn off the (arguably red) light on its "erotic services" section. The category is set to vanish from the site for good this coming Wednesday. It'll be replaced by a more heavily monitored "adult services" alternative.

The decision to pull the plug came only days after South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster called the category a "vehicle" for soliciting prostitution. McMaster demanded its removal, saying his office would pursue "criminal investigation and prosecution" against Craigslist executives if they failed to comply.