National
Courts can look into parliamentary panel reports but not rely on them, SC told
New Delhi, Oct. Oct 12 (IANS) The Supreme Court was told on Thursday that courts could look into the report of the parliamentary committees but can’t use it for evidentiary purposes or to direct the parliament to act on them.
The constitution bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.K. Sikri, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Ashok Bhushan was told that every constitutional body acted independent of other co-equal constitutional institutions.
Telling the court that “reference to what goes on in a co-equal constitutional institution is always circumspect…”, senior counsel Harish Salve said that “freedom of speech and expression, recognised explicitly or otherwise is implicit in the working of every constitutional institution”.
Telling the court that it was the institution alone that controls and regulates itself, he said: “Every function of an institution should be regulated by that institution alone”, be it the government auditor CAG or the Election Commission and termed the independent functioning of the constitutional institution as “the value of our democratic system”.
If somebody lies before the parliament, then it for parliament alone to decide on its course of action against such a person, said Salve as the constitution bench examined the question whether courts could use reports of the parliamentary committee as evidence for determining an issue.
Salve appeared for the MSD Pharmaceuticals – a respondent in the case and a manufacturer producing vaccine – Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) – for preventing cervical cancer in women. GlaxoSmithKline Asia Pvt Ltd. is the other company that manufactures the vaccine.
In response to a query from the bench whether courts could not use the general information that is provided in the reports of the parliamentary committees, Salve said that general information could be used but not the specific.
The top court by its order of April 5, 2017 had framed two questions to be addressed by the constitution bench – if the top court in the hearing of a plea under Article 32 and Article 136 “can refer to and place reliance upon the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee?” and whether the report could be looked at for the purpose of reference.
It further said if there could be restrictions for the purpose of reference in view of the parliamentary privilege and the delicate balance between the constitutional institutions.
Article 32 gives the right to move the top court for the enforcement of fundamental rights and Article 136 provides for top court to grant leave to appeal against judgment, decree, sentence or order passed or made by any court or tribunal in the territory of India.
The bench of then Justice Misra and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman had by their April 5, 2017, order referred the matter to the constitution bench while hearing a matter relating to action taken by the Drugs Controller General of India and the Indian Council of Medical Research pertaining to approval of the HPV vaccine by these two pharmaceutical companies.
Hearing will continue after Diwali holidays.
–IANS
pk/vd
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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