SC Agrees to Consider AIFF Constitution Finalization Pleas

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider listing the pleas concerning the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) and the finalization of its constitution, which was framed by former apex court judge Justice L Nageswara Rao.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra acknowledged the arguments put forth by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who is aiding the court as an amicus curiae, that the petitions required consideration.

“It was stated on March 19 that the pleas would be listed on April 5, which is today,” the senior advocated stated.

The bench assured that the case would be fixed for hearing soon.

The apex court seized two separate batch of petitions concerning the Indian Olympic Association and the All-India Football Federation (AIFF). It had mandated the distribution of the report submitted by Justice Rao by Gopal Sankarnarayanan to all parties requesting soft copies. It also directed the filing of objections to the AIFF’s draft constitution.

On May 2, 2023, the Supreme Court urged Justice Rao to additionally formulate a comprehensive report on concluding the AIFF constitution following the examination of objections to a preliminary document by diverse stakeholders, including FIFA—the preeminent global authority overseeing football. It emphasized that Justice Rao, who had previously finalized the constitution of the Indian Olympic Association under the court’s directives, could effectively address the substantial objections to the draft constitution by various stakeholders.

The bench was hearing a petition concerning the completion of the AIFF constitution, factoring in the “clause-by-clause” objections raised by different football stakeholders in the nation.