The government today faced tough questions in the Supreme Court today, a day after it sought more time saying it had decided to review a colonial-era sedition law.
“The state says they are reexamining. But we cannot be unreasonable. We will have to decide how much time has to be given,” Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said.
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Thursday 13 March 2025
“Can someone stay in jail for months? Your affidavit says civil liberties. How will you protect those liberties,” the Chief Justice questioned.
SG Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre, told the Supreme Court that it requires reconsideration at the level of executive because sovereignty and integrity of nation is involved. He sought deferment of hearing of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of sedition law.
The lawyer for the petitioners, Gopal Sankaranarayan, said it was becoming a “pattern” with the government to seek more time to delay important cases, referring to the marital rape hearing.
Supreme Court asks the Centre how long it will take for reconsideration of the Sedition Law. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre, replies that reconsideration of the law is in the process.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal says, “the exercise of this Court cannot be stopped merely because the legislature will take time to reconsider for six months or one year and asks Court to examine the constitutional validity of sedition law.”
On Monday, two days after firmly defending the sedition law and asking the Supreme Court to dismiss challenges to it, the government said it had decided to review the legislation.
It said it has decided to “re-examine and re-consider” the sedition law by an “appropriate forum”, in a change of stance just two days after stoutly defending the colonial era penal law, and also urged the Supreme Court not to “invest time” in examining the validity of its provisions once again.
