‘Hold sedition law till review is over’: SC seeks Centre’s response

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre to pause the colonial-era law sedition law till it is being reviewed. The Supreme Court also directed the government to reply by Wednesday on whether the sedition law can be paused and people charged under it can be protected while the law is being reviewed. 

A top court bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana took note of the submissions of the Centre that said it has decided to "re-examine and reconsider" the sedition law by an "appropriate forum" and sought the response to a suggestion whether the filing of sedition cases in future be kept at abeyance till re-examination.

The Supreme Court order came a day after the government sought more time to respond to petitions challenging the sedition law saying it had decided to review it.

The top court also expressed concerns about those already facing sedition charges and directed the Centre to finish the review at the earliest. 

Supreme Court asks 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.

— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2022

"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, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that he would take instruction from the government and apprise the bench on Wednesday.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs in an affidavit filed before the apex court on Tuesday said the decision was in tune with the views of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on shedding "colonial baggage,'' noting that the PM has been in favour of the protection of civil liberties and respect of human rights and in that spirit, over 1,500 outdated laws and over 25,000 compliance burdens have been scrapped.

The top court has been hearing a clutch of pleas challenging the validity of the law on sedition which has been under intense public scrutiny for its alleged misuse to settle political scores by various governments. 

(With Agency inputs)