In anticipation of the Supreme Court’s impending decision on the constitutional validity of the government’s revocation of ‘Article 370,’ which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, security measures have been significantly intensified in the region. The Centre nullified the special status in 2019, leading to the reorganization of the area into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Courts
Some battles are fought to be lost
For history must record the uncomfortable facts for generations to know
The right and wrong of institutional actions will be debated for years to come
History alone is the final arbiter
of the moral compass of historic decisions— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) December 11, 2023
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud is set to lead the five-judge Constitution bench that will deliver the verdict in response to multiple petitions challenging the government’s actions from four years ago. After a comprehensive 16-day hearing, the Supreme Court reserved its judgment on September 5.
Petitioners argue against the unilateral abolition of Article 370 by the Centre, citing the transfer of powers from the Constituent Assembly to the Jammu and Kashmir legislature after its dissolution in 1957.
Live updates on the Article 370 verdict reveal that the Supreme Court bench, under Chief Justice DY Chandrachud’s leadership, is expected to convene in the courtroom shortly, with counsels already present.
As of December 11, 2023, at 10:24 AM (IST), senior advocate Kapil Sibal commented on the imminent verdict, remarking, “Some battles are fought to be lost. For history must record the uncomfortable facts for generations to know.”