How Formalist or Realist are you?

Damon was a child prodigy but had a bad childhood and ended up becoming a dealer of reconstructed personal computers. He had access to e-waste via under-the-table means and he used the same to reconstruct gadgets and earn a living for his family. One day, after remaking a laptop he realizes that the previous owner had about 5 MB worth of storage of child porn on the same. He wanted to report the same to the police but even the possession of such materials was considered a crime. In addition to this, he would also lose his source of livelihood and his children would starve. He tries to leave the laptop with an anonymous tip at the police station but an officer catches him. Do you think Damon should be put in jail?

On a cold December night, 4 men brutally gang-raped a 22-year old young woman on the streets of Delhi on a moving bus. All four of the accused were convicted for their crimes but the youngest of them was a 16-year old who was charged as a minor. The juvenile laws had no exceptions for such an offense and the court considered the boy to be a minor and punished him accordingly. He was sent to a correctional facility for 8 months and was known to show no remorse or realization for his wrongs. The legal system could not retain him for any longer and he walked freely on the streets of Delhi once again. Do you think the boy should have been charged as an adult owing to the severity of the crime or do you agree with the court's direction and that the law must be followed with precision and exactitude?

Baburao contracted with Shyam to buy a carton of milk. He bought the carton without inspecting it even though Shyam told him to check the expiration date and not be negligent. The milk turned out to be spoiled, and thus, Baburao sued Shyam. Shyam is confident that he would not lose the case because it's a clear case of the applicability of the doctrine of caveat emptor. Do you think the judge’s decision is predictable in such a case, given the cluster of factors in favour of one party?

Aryan Khan is facing a criminal charge of use and possession in India, where Marijuana is illegal. The judge hearing his case, however, is of stringent belief that the drug should be legalized in the country, as she is well learned in this area and has studied the pros and cons of this topic in depth. Do you think her decision making will have a stable basis, I.e., based on precedents, or will it be based on her sentiments and knowledge, I.e., judicial activism, inspiring her to acquit Aryan and hold the usage of the drug legal?

Pooja and Riya are fighting over the custody of a baby. Pooja is the baby’s birth mother and is known to neglect the wellbeing of the baby, frequently leaving her in her sister, Riya’s care. Riya petitioned the king for custody of the baby. But, there is an existing law in the kingdom that a baby must not be removed from the birth mother at any cost and any claims otherwise are punishable. But the baby can be removed if the mother is convicted of neglect and the baby should not be kept with any relative of the mother. After examining a few pieces of evidence, it was confirmed that Pooja is indeed abusing the baby and Riya has greatly contributed to the baby’s wellbeing. Should the king bend the law and allow Riya custody of the baby or should the baby be put into the system?

Munnabhai and Circuit were arrested for abusing a judge of the Bombay High Court. The judge recently acquitted a man accused of (TW:) sexually assaulting his wife. The judge’s reasoning was that the Indian Penal Code lays down an exception to Section 375 that it doesn’t apply to husbands. Munnabhai and Circuit believed otherwise and thought that the judge should have thought of societal consequences and gone ahead to convict the man despite the law saying otherwise. Do you agree with Munnabhai and Circuit or do you agree with the Judge?

None of the farmers in Bostralia were happy with a certain Farmer’s Bill. None of them wanted to be governed by the Bill. There were nation-wide protests and there was a possibility of a nation-wide strike by the farmers. It is revealed that while making the bill, none of the farmers or any of their representatives, the people who were at stake by the execution of the Bill, were consulted or even heard. But the Bill was entirely constitutional and valid and followed the proper rules and procedure of the nation, and was proposed by the elected members of a democracy. You are a journalist, called onto a panel discussion on a TV Channel, Times Now. What stance would you take?

You are on jury duty. Standing before you is Alisha, an extremely poor woman with two children, a 7 year old son and a 1 year old daughter. She has been accused of trespassing and theft for stealing 3 hampers filled with food and goods from a house in a posh locality. Alisha contends that she stole the food and goods for her children and not for herself. Keep in mind that you own the biggest bungalow of the same neighborhood and are tired of the increasing trespassing in your locality and doubt that it is the same woman doing it. What will your decision on the last day of the trial be?

Judge Lane is an accomplished Supreme Court judge and has been credited for preserving justice and improving the conditions of the underprivileged sections of the society. Being a survivor of abusive parents herself, she has several legal clinics aiding people, especially children to get out of abusive homes. Amongst her several cases, she presides over the case of Cat. Cat, a victim of abuse herself, has been illegally sheltering run away children for over 5 years. She forces them to work to keep their place under her. The children, stuck between the child labour or going back to their abusive homes, often chose the former, since law states that underage children will, by default, be sent to their parents. At this juncture Judge Lane is confused. What should she do?

In the state of Gothamland, despite being in 21st century, still had stringent laws against homosexuality owing to its conservative society. Bruce was a homosexual living as a tenant in Clark’s apartment. For a while, Clark suspected Bruce to be a homosexual and indulging in such activities in the apartment. Living in the lower floor, one day when Bruce was out, Clark used his spare key to enter into the apartment and installed a camera to catch him in the action. Later that night, Bruce came home with his partner and they indulged in sexual intercourse. Subsequently, Bruce was imprisoned for 50 years for homosexual activities but Clark was let off with a fine since the laws for voyeurism was not as stringent. Was Bruce’s conviction justified?