As per the top court’s decision, all pending cases will be paused while no fresh FIR will be filed under Sedition law. It said that using the provision of law will not be appropriate till government’s review.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court, in a landmark decision on Wednesday, put Sedition law on hold until government reviews it. The Apex Court’s order will impact those who are lodged under jails under the controversial law as they can apply their respective courts for bails.
As per the top court’s decision, all pending cases will be paused while no fresh FIR will be filed under Sedition law. It said that using the provision of law will not be appropriate till government’s review. Hopefully centre and states refrain from filing FIRs under the law or start proceeding till re-examination is over. It further said that people can approach the court if fresh cases are filed.
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Notably, Centre on Monday had inform to review the Sedition law. On Wednesday, however, it told before the court that the law should not put on hold till reviews. Central government argued the court that superintendent or above could decide whether a sedition charge should be filed. “There has to be a layer of scrutiny, where a responsible officer is there to scrutinise the gravity of the situation and there of course would be judicial forums,” the government’s lawyer, said. He further argued that a law cannot be stayed on the basis of a PIL.
Talking about pending cases, the government said that many of them are related to terrorism, money laundering and other additional charges. These cases are already before the courts and should be left on courts to decide.
The petitioner, however, opposed the government’s argument and requested to put the law on hold until the government’s review of the colonial-era legislation is over.
