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2009 Supreme(AP) 45

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD
ANIL R. DAVE, CJ AND RAMESH RANGANATHAN, J.
Mandadi Satyanarayana Reddy – Appellant
Verses
Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Hyderabad and others – Respondent
WVMP No.209 of 2009 and Batch
Decided On : Sixth Day of February, 2009

Advocates Appeared:
Movva Chandrashekar Rao, Ravi Shankar Jandryala, Government Pleader for Law and Legislative Affairs, J. Ramachandra Rao, V. Venkataramana, Counsel for the Appearing Parties.

Headnote:

Constitution of India- Articles 122(1) and 212(1)- Articles 136, 226 and 227- Tenth Schedule Act –By way of ad-interim relief, implementation of the impugned order was suspended up to 6.2.2009 i.e., up to today. As the hearing could not be concluded, it has been prayed that the ad-interim relief granted earlier be continued -When the Honble Speaker has disqualified any Member of a Legislative Assembly under the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India, implementation of the order of disqualification should not be stayed by any Court – Held, while exercising the power of judicial review against an order passed by the Honble Speaker, normally no interim relief should be granted. It has been clearly observed by the Honble Supreme Court in the afore-stated paragraphs that implementation of the order passed by the Honble Speaker should not be stayed except when the Honble Speaker has passed some interim order whereby a Member has been disqualified during the proceedings pending before him under Paragraph 6 of the Tenth Schedule - dismissed

ORDER :-

By way of ad-interim relief, implementation of the impugned order was suspended up to 6.2.2009 i.e., up to today. As the hearing could not be concluded, it has been prayed that the ad-interim relief granted earlier be continued.

2. In the course of hearing, learned Senior Advocate Shri Ramakrishna Reddi appearing for respondent No.2 has submitted that when the Hon'ble Speaker has disqualified any Member of a Legislative Assembly under the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India, implementation of the order of disqualification should not be stayed by any Court. In support of this submission, he has relied upon the judgment delivered by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Kihito Hollohan v. Zachillhu, 1992 Supp. (2) SCC 651 and drawn our attention to Paragraphs 110 and 111 of the afore-stated judgment, which read as under :

"110. In view of the limited scope of judicial review that is available on account of the finality clause in Paragraph 6 and also having regard to the constitutional intendment and the status of the repository of the adjudicatory power i.e., Speaker/Chairman, judicial review cannot be available at a stage prior to the making of a decision by the Speaker/Chairman and a quia timet action would not be permissible. Nor would interference be permissible at an interlocutory stage of the proceedings. Exception will, however, have to be made in respect of cases where disqualification or suspension is imposed during the pendency of the proceedings and such disqualification or suspension is likely to have grave, immediate and irreversible repercussions and consequence.

111. In the result, we hold on contentions (E) and (F) :

That the Tenth Schedule does not, in providing for an additional grant (sic ground) for disqualification and for adjudication of disputed disqualifications, seek to create a non-justiciable constitutional area. The power to resolve such disputes vested in the Speaker or Chairman is a judicial power.

That Paragraph 6(1) of the Tenth Schedule, to the extent it seeks to impart finality to the decision of the Speakers/Chairman is valid. But the concept of statutory finality embodied in Paragraph 6(1) does not detract from or abrogate judicial review under Articles 136, 226 and 227 of the Constitution insofar as infirmities based on violations of constitutional mandates, mala fides, non-compliance with Rules of Natural Justice and perversity, are concerned.

That the deeming provision in Paragraph 6(2) of the Tenth Schedule attracts an immunity analogous to that in Articles 122(1) and 212(1) of the Constitution as understood and explained in Keshav Singh's case to protect the validity of proceedings from mere irregularities of procedure. The deeming provision, having regard to the words 'be deemed to be proceedings in Parliament' or 'proceedings in the legislature of a State' confines the scope of the fiction accordingly.

The Speakers/Chairman while exercising powers and discharging functions under the Tenth Schedule Act as Tribunal adjudicating rights and obligations under the Tenth Schedule and their decisions in that capacity are amenable to judicial review.

However, having regard to the Constitutional Schedule in the Tenth Schedule, judicial review should not cover any stage prior to the making of a decision by the Speakers/Chairmen. Having regard to the constitutional intendment and the status of the repository of the adjudicatory power, no quia timet actions are permissible, the only exception for any interlocutory interference being cases of interlocutory disqualifications or suspensions which may have grave, immediate and irreversible repercussions and consequence.”

3. The learned Senior Advocate has, therefore, submitted that ad-interim relief, which had been granted earlier, should not be continued even if hearing of the matter has not been concluded.

4. On the other hand, it has been submitted by the learned advocates appearing for the petitioners viz., Shri Movva Chan






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