Centre opposes priority hearing before SC on Finance Act, 2017

The Centre on Thursday opposed before the Supreme Court a plea for granting a priority hearing of the reference made in the Rojer Mathew judgment on a question of whether the Finance Act, 2017, can be treated as Money Bill.

A seven-judge Constitution bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud was considering the matter for issuing procedural directions. A number of matters were posted before the court.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal suggested that the matter should be prioritised.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, along with Attorney General R Venkatramani, however, opposed the prioritisation of the case based on “political exigencies”. He said the matters should be taken up as per the pendency.

Mehta, at the same time, submitted the court may decide it.

The bench, for its part, said it would consider the matter.

In November 2019, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had ordered that the validity of the passage of the Finance Act 2017 as Money Bill should be decided by a larger bench.