Supreme Court to hear 144 petitions on CAA – LIVE UPDATE
LIVE UPDATE: SUPREME COURT HEARING ON CAA- The Supreme Court will today begin hearing a batch of pleas against and in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India SA will hear 144 pleas for and against the recently-passed law.
Among the petitioners challenging the CAA is the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which has sought an immediate stay on the implementation of the law. The Supreme Court had in the previous hearing on December 18 refused to order a stay on the implementation of the law which was notified by the government on January 10.
UPDATE
11:30 am- Before concluding today’s hearing on the new citizenship law, the Supreme Court also restrains all other high courts from passing any order on CAA.
11:25 am- The Attorney General asks for six weeks to file affidavits in all CAA matters. However, senior advocate Kapil Sibal and others oppose the suggestion. The CJI then refuses to pass any order of restraint against operation of CAA or NPR, and further gives the central government 4 weeks to file reply in CAA matters.
11:20 am – Petitions on Assam Might Have to be Heard Seaparately: CJI | A plea is made, during the SC hearing on CAA, to hear Assam-related matters separately because “it has an Accord and is placed differently from others.” To this, the CJI remarks, “Assam looks differently placed and hence fit might have to be heard separately.” The court then gives the Centre given 2 weeks to file reply in Assam-related cases.
11:15 am- As the Attorney General insists there is no need for an interim order on the matter, senior advocate Vikas Singh takes objection and says that it is a must because “demography of Assam could be changed because of the law.” “Half the immigrants in Assam are Bengali Hindus,” Singh explains. However, the three-judge bench of the apex court then clarifies it won’t pass an ex-parte order on CAA.
11:00 am – As the Supreme Court begins hearing over 140 petitions on the contentious citizenship act, the overcrowded state of the court room irks CJI, as he asks security to control the crowd of lawyers, litigants.
