Three sweeping legislative changes landed in India's legal landscape this week. From the Jan Vishwas Bill 2026 decriminalising hundreds of regulatory offences to the new Income Tax Act 2025 going live on April 1, the legal implications for law firms and in-house counsel are immediate and layered. Here is a clear breakdown.

Lawyers across Kerala staged a protest against the Supreme Court’s hearing on whether High Courts can entertain anticipatory bail pleas beyond a Sessions Court’s territorial jurisdiction. The Bar termed the Union’s challenge as judicial overreach into long-established High Court powers under Section 438 CrPC, reflecting growing concerns over federal judicial balance.

The CBDT has modified rules for inoperative PANs, providing relief from higher TDS/TCS rates for certain periods if PANs become operative by specified deadlines. Previously, unlinked PANs (due to non-Aadhaar linkage) led to severe tax consequences. Circular No. 9/2025 clarifies that normal rates apply if PANs are linked within the new timelines, reducing "short-deduction/collection" demands.

Kerala HC: No passport denial if no chargesheet filed or court cognizance taken FIR alone isn’t a “pending proceeding.”