SC To Review Setting Up Bench For Pleas On Money Bills Validity

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider a request for establishing a constitution bench to hear petitions challenging the validity of passing laws like the Aadhaar Act as money bills, allegedly to bypass the Rajya Sabha.

A bench comprising of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was approached by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who also heads the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Sibal informed the court that the pleadings were complete and requested that the petitions be listed for hearing.

“I will take the call when I form the constitution benches,” the CJI responded.

Previously, the top court had announced plans to form a seven-judge bench to address the issue of the validity of passing laws like the Aadhaar Act as money bills.

This decision aims to resolve the controversy surrounding money bills, following the government’s introduction of legislations like the Aadhaar Act and amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as money bills. This approach was seemingly used to circumvent the Rajya Sabha, where the government did not hold a majority at the time.

A money bill is legislation that can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha cannot amend or reject a money bill; it can only make recommendations, which the Lower House may choose to accept or ignore.

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