SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
P. Sathasivam, CJI., Ranjana Prakash Desai, J.
Satish Chandra - Petitioner
Versus
Lok Sabha and others - Respondent
W.P.(C) No. 936 of 2013
Decided On : 2-12-2013
Constitution of India – Article 32, 122 and 194 – Rules of Procedure – Rule 15 and 349 – Corruption Act – Gross illegality or Unconstitutionality – Writ of Mandamus – Allegations of Wrongdoing – Speaker is guardian of privileges of House and its spokesman and representative upon all occasions interpreter of its rules and procedure, and is invested with power to control and regulate course of debate and to maintain order powers to regulate Procedure and Conduct of Business of House of People vests in the Speaker of House – By virtue of powers vested in him, Speaker, in purported exercise of his power under Rule 15 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha got issued notice through Secretary General of Lok Sabha directing resumption of sittings of Lok Sabha which was adjourned sine – Held, Power of a legislative chamber to punish for contempt of itself make it amply clear that Courts cannot inquire into matters related to irregularities in observance of procedures before legislature examine whether proceedings conducted are `tainted on account of substantive or gross illegality or unconstitutionality facts before us do not merely touch on a procedural irregularity – Appellant has contended that Punjab has committed a substantive jurisdictional error by exercising powers to inquire into the appellants actions which were taken in his executive capacity explained earlier relevant fact here is not only that allegations of wrongdoing pertain to an executive act, but the fact that there is no conceivable obstruction caused to conduct of routine legislative business – Appeal dismissed.
JUDGMENT :
P. Sathasivam CJI. and Ranjana Prakash Desai, J. - The petitioner in-person has approached this Court under Article 32 of the Constitution of India with the following prayers :
b. to disqualify regular offenders from the House membership.
c. to debar regular offenders from contesting future election by making Rules.
d. to direct Election Commission to make it mandatory for each Member intending to re-contest election to give details on affidavit about number of times he/she has disrupted the house in violation of the Rule 349 of the Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha or respective State Assembly.
e. to pass such other or further orders as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper in facts and circumstances of the case."
2. The issue in question has been settled by two Constitution Bench decisions of this Court in Ramdas Athawale(5) v. Union of India and Others, (2010) 4 SCC 1 and Amarinder Singh v. Special Committee, Punjab Vidhan Sabha and Others (2010) 6 SCC 113, the relevant paragraphs of the same are extracted below:
40. It is a right of each House of Parliament to be the sole judge of the lawfulness of its own proceedings. The Courts cannot go into the lawfulness of the proceedings of the Houses of Parliament. The Constitution aims at maintaining a fine balance between the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. The object of the constitutional scheme is to ensure that each of the constitutional organs function within their respective assigned sphere. Precisely, that is the constitutional philosophy inbuilt into Article 122 of the Constitution of India.
54. Hence, we are empowered to scrutinise the exercise of legislative privileges which admittedly include the power of a legislative chamber to punish for contempt of itself. Articles 122(1) and 212(1) make it amply clear that Courts cannot inquire into matters related to irregularities in observance
Ramdas Athawale(5) v. Union of India and Others
Amarinder Singh v. Special Committee, Punjab Vidhan Sabha and Others
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