The Supreme Court on Tuesday listed the batch of petitions challenging the controversial Electoral Bonds scheme for final hearing from October 31.
The Bench of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra said that if the arguments did not conclude on October 31, then it would continue to hear the case on November 1 as well.
The top court of the country decided to list the matter after a brief discussion on whether it should defer the hearing until a Constitution Bench of the Apex Court decided the law with regard to the passage of Acts as money bills.
The CJI asked the petitioner NGOs – Association for Democratic Reforms and Common Cause- whether they wanted to continue hearing in the matter without waiting for the verdict in the money bill case, which was listed for hearing before a seven-judge Constitution Bench.
Advocate Bhushan said that if the money bill issue was decided within two months, the current petition could be taken up after that.
However, the CJI said he cannot predict the same since the matter was listed before seven judges for directions.
The counsel then said that the petitioners would prefer to have the matter heard instead of waiting for the Constitution bench to decide the money bill issue.
The Apex Court recorded in its order that both the petitioner’s counsel (Advocate Prashant Bhushan) and Attorney General R. Venkataramani have made their preliminary submissions. Compilations have also been filed in the case. Further submissions, if any, should be filed by October 14 and the nodal counsel should compile soft copies, it added.
Money bills can be passed without the assent of the Rajya Sabha and the electoral bonds scheme was also introduced by way of a money bill.
(Case title: Association for Democratic Reforms and anr vs Union of India Cabinet Secretary and Ors)