Supreme Court Reconstitutes Bench to Hear PMLA Review Petitions IN

• The Supreme Court has reconstituted a new three-judge bench to hear review petitions challenging its July 2022 PMLA judgment.
• The new bench will be led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprises justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.
• Over 200 petitions were filed challenging various provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
• The Supreme Court's decision to reconstitute the bench may impact the ED's powers and the constitutional validity of various provisions under the Act.

The new bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, comprises justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.

The Supreme Court has reconstituted a new three-judge bench to hear the review petitions challenging its July 2022 judgment upholding various provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The new bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, comprises justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. This decision was made after the parties consented to the change in bench composition, which was necessary due to the retirement of Justice C.T. Ravikumar from the original bench. The reconstitution of the bench is significant, as it will now hear the review pleas that were pending since 2022. The Enforcement Directorate had previously argued against the maintainability of these review petitions, but the Supreme Court has decided to proceed with hearing them.

The July 2022 judgment of Vijay Madanlal Choudhary upheld the constitutional validity of several provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court had answered 12 questions of law formulated in a batch of petitions, including those related to the powers of the Enforcement Directorate. Over 200 petitions were filed challenging various provisions of the Act, with many arguing that the ED's powers were unbridled and unconstitutional. The Supreme Court's decision to reconstitute the bench is likely to have significant implications for ongoing cases and future petitions challenging the PMLA judgment.

The reconstitution of the bench has major implications for lawyers handling ongoing cases and future petitions related to the PMLA judgment. The new bench will now hear the review pleas, which were pending since 2022. This decision may impact the ED's powers and the constitutional validity of various provisions under the Act. Lawyers should closely watch this development, as it may have significant implications for their clients' cases and future petitions challenging the PMLA judgment.

Lawyers should watch for the potential implications of this reconstituted bench on ongoing cases and future petitions challenging the PMLA judgment, particularly with regards to the ED's powers and the constitutional validity of various provisions.

Source: Original reporting via Supreme Court