The Supreme Court of India is poised to embark on a significant legal journey as it prepares to deliberate a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. This pivotal move, executed nearly four years ago by the Central government, resulted in the removal of the special status that had been accorded to the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir, concurrently leading to the reconfiguration of the region into two Union Territories: Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
A distinguished Constitution Bench, composed of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud along with Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant, will preside over the proceedings involving around 20 petitions. These petitions collectively challenge the constitutional validity of the abrogation and subsequent alterations in the region’s administrative status.
Drawing from the written submissions meticulously compiled by the designated nodal counsel, Advocate-on-Record Prasanna S, it is anticipated that the oral arguments of the petitioners will consume approximately 60 hours before reaching a conclusion.
The litigation will see participation from a total of 18 legal representatives, who will present their arguments on behalf of the respective petitioners. Noteworthy among them are Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and Gopal Subramanium, both slated to dedicate 10 hours each to articulate their perspectives.
Other eminent legal minds expected to present their viewpoints include Senior Advocates Shekhar Naphade and Zafar Shah, each allotted 8 hours for their deliberations.
Furthermore, Senior Advocates Dushyant Dave and Chander Uday Singh are expected to succinctly put forth their arguments within a span of 4 hours each.
The proceedings will also feature Senior Advocates Dinesh Dwivedi, Prashanto Chandra Sen, and Gopal Sankaranarayanan, each of whom is poised to expound upon their respective stances over the course of approximately 3 hours.
Additionally, Senior Advocates Sanjay Parikh and Rajeev Dhavan will take the floor for about 2 hours each to present their perspectives.
Upon tallying the cumulative duration of these comprehensive arguments, the total time is estimated to account for roughly 57 hours. The remaining three hours will be dedicated to the intervention applicants, two of whom will be represented by Senior Advocates Menaka Guruswamy and Nitya Ramakrishnan.
The roster of legal representatives set to advocate on behalf of various intervenors further includes Senior Advocate PV Surendranath and Advocates Manish Tewari, Irfan Hafiz Lone, and Zahoor Ahmad Bhat.
As the Supreme Court undertakes this significant legal discourse, legal scholars, practitioners, and citizens at large remain keenly attuned to the unfolding proceedings, recognizing the far-reaching implications of the Article 370 abrogation case.
(Inputs from Bar & Bench)
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The Chenab Times News Desk
