Court Correspondent :
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday will deliver the verdict on the appeal against a High Court ruling that scratched the Parliament’s powers to remove judges.
The apex court on June 1 had fixed July 3 to pronounce the verdict after hearing the arguments submitted on behalf of the State against the relevant High Court ruling. According to the Supreme Court website, it is on the top of the Appellate Division’s agenda for Monday.
The 16th Amendment to the Constitution passed in 2014 that allowed the Parliament to remove judges on grounds of incompetence and misconduct.
In November of that year, nine Supreme Court lawyers filed a petition with the High Court challenging the legal basis of the amendment. They secured a verdict in their favour in May last year. Later, the State went to the Appellate Division challenging the High Court decision.
The appeal hearing started on May 8, and the seven-member full bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha heard the arguments of both sides for 11 days.
The court also heard the opinions of 10 Supreme Court lawyers as amici curiae- ‘friends of the court’ on the matter. All of them, except one, supported the High Court ruling that found the Amendment illegal.
