On January 30, 2024, a seven-judge panel of the Supreme Court will hear petitions challenging the validity of laws such as the Aadhaar Act and amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as money bills. According to a notification from the SC, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud will preside over the bench.
The original petition questioned the government’s role in operating Tribunals. This, along with petitions challenging the classification of the Act as a money bill, was initially brought before a 5-judge bench, which then referred the case to a 7-judge bench.
A money bill can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha and cannot be rejected by the Rajya Sabha. Petitioners argue that many important legislations were labeled as money bills to avoid unfavorable outcomes in the Rajya Sabha, where the government did not have a majority.
