Contents Part II 4 Violations of Natural Justice and the Right of Due Process 5 Embedding Violations: Role of Assam’s High Court 6 Conclusion 87 Introduction 89 4.1 Systemic Violations Leading Up to Status Determination 89 4.1.1 What the Superior Courts Have Said 89 4.1.2 Denying Access to Inquiry Reports 92 4.1.3 Shielding of Inquiry Officers 92 4.1.4 Failure of the High Court 94 4.2 Systemic Violations During Status Determination Proceedings 95 4.2.1 Service of Notice 98 4.2.2 Legal Aid 100 4.2.3 Filing Written Statement 101 4.2.4 Obtaining Public and Private Documents 103 4.2.5 Challenging Ex Parte Orders 107 4.2.6 Admission and Denial Stage 108 4.2.7 Marking Documents as Exhibits: Admissibility Stage 110 4.2.8 Summoning of Witnesses 111 4.2.9 Improper Cross-Questioning 113 4.2.10 Proving Public and Private Documents 118 4.2.11 Dealing with Discrepancies 122 4.2.12 Evidence is not read as a whole 130 Conclusion 135 Introduction 138 5.1 Ex Parte Decisions by the Gauhati High Court 148 5.1.1 Lack of Standards for Setting Aside Ex Parte Orders 147 5.1.2 Arbitrary Outcomes 150 5.2 Writ Petitions Against Contested Cases 151 5.2.1 Lack of Standards for Appreciating Evidence 155 5.2.2 Arbitrary Outcomes 159 Conclusion 160 5.3. A System Impervious to Reform 161 5.3.1 Adjudicating Oral Evidence 164 5.3.2 Undermining Res Judicata 165 5.3.3 Persistent Crisis of Due Process 169 Conclusion 175 Reframing the Problem: From Fragmented Flaws to Systemic Illegality 176 6.1 The Rule of Law: Institutional Design, Legal Foundations, and Adjudicative Integrity 177 6.2 Fair Trial and Equality of Arms 179 6.3 Due Process and Natural Justice 181 Conclusion: A Regime Beyond Repair 182 Appendix: Methodology of Data