Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, May 10: The Supreme Court ordered the Centre to put the colonial-era sedition statute on hold till it is reviewed on Tuesday. The Supreme Court also ordered the government to respond by Wednesday on whether the sedition statute can be stopped and those charged under it protected while the law is examined.
A top court bench led by Chief Justice N V Ramana took note of the Centre’s submissions that it has decided to “re-examine and reconsider” the sedition law through a “appropriate forum,” and sought a response to a suggestion that future sedition cases be put on hold until the re-examination is completed.
The order came a day after the government requested extra time to respond to petitions challenging the sedition statute, claiming that it had chosen to reconsider it.
The Supreme Court also expressed concern over those who have already been charged with sedition and ordered the Centre to complete the review as soon as possible.
“We will give you time till tomorrow morning to take instructions from the government. Our concern is pending cases and future cases, how the government will take care of those till it re-examines the law,” Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said, according to PTI.
In response, the Centre’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said he will take instructions from the government and inform the bench on Wednesday.
In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs said the decision was in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s views on shedding “colonial baggage,” noting that the PM has been in favour of the protection of civil liberties and respect for human rights, and that over 1,500 outdated laws and over 25,000 compliance burdens have been scrapped in that spirit.
The Supreme Court has been examining a slew of petitions challenging the constitutionality of the sedition legislation, which has been widely criticised for its alleged abuse by various regimes to settle political scores.
