SC Constitution bench to hear petitions against demonetisation today

A five-judge Constitution bench will on Wednesday hear petitions challenging Centre's decision to demonetise currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 in November 2016.

A bench of Justices S. Abdul Nazeer, B.R. Gavai, A.S. Bopanna, V. Ramasubramanian, and B.V. Nagarathna, will hear the petitions against demonetisation. This is the fourth Constitution bench which has been constituted in the apex court.

In November 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation of all Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, as a measure to curb the circulation of black money in the economy.

The bench will also hear a matter in connection with issues relating to freedom of speech of public/state functionaries.

It will hear another matter raising an issue, whether the immunity to legislative Assembly members, under Article 194(2), in connection with any vote given by them in the legislature includes immunity against prosecution for bribery. The top court will also hear a matter in connection with questions under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The fourth issue that will be examined by the Constitution bench headed by Justice Nazeer relates to Sukhpal Singh Khaira, in which a two-judge bench headed by former CJI NV Ramana had referred two questions to a larger bench in 2019.

A case relating to the validity of provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act is the last one to be heard by the fourth Constitution bench.