From October 10, five Constitution benches to hear five crucial issues

The benches would start hearing five key issues, including the tussle over administrative jurisdiction in New Delhi and a matter relating to passive euthanasia.
For representational purposes.
For representational purposes.

NEW DELHI: Five Constitution benches of the Supreme Court would start hearing five key issues, including the power tussle between the Centre and Delhi government over administrative jurisdiction and a matter relating to passive euthanasia, from October 10.

Each of the constitution benches will comprise five judges.

The Big Five Issues:

  1. Voluntary passive euthanasia
  2. Right to power of administrative head of New Delhi
  3. Issue of whether a Parliamentary committee report can be used during judicial proceedings
  4. Grant of compensation by Motor Accident Claims Tribunals
  5. Issue of whether the Supreme Court can consider a plea for making an arbitration award a rule of the court

​​​Other issues that would be dealt with by the Constitution benches are whether a Parliamentary committee report can be referred to or relied upon during judicial proceedings, how to add income for future prospects of victims in motor accident claims and whether the apex court can entertain a plea for making an arbitration award a rule of the court.​

The court had in February 2014 referred to a Constitution Bench, a plea favouring voluntary passive euthanasia in cases where a person is suffering from terminal illness and has no chance of recovery according to medical opinion.

A Constitution Bench would hear the matter relating to the tug-of-war between the Centre and the Delhi government over the administration of the National Capital Territory. The Delhi High Court had last year declared the Lieutenant Governor as the administrative head of the national capital against which the Delhi government had moved the apex court.

Another Constitution Bench would hear the issue of whether a Parliamentary committee report could be referred to or relied upon during judicial proceedings before the apex court.

On the grant of compensation by Motor Accident Claims Tribunals, a two-judge bench had in 2014 said that while calculating compensation to victims, the issue of adding income for future prospects of the victims needed an authoritative pronouncement and had referred the matter to a larger bench.

A Constitution Bench will also hear whether the apex court can entertain an application for making an arbitration award a rule of the court.

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