While noting that there is a line, “Lakshman Rekha”, to how far courts can challenge government policy decisions, the Supreme Court Wednesday said it will still hear petitions against the 2016 demonetisation of high-value currency notes.
The apex court will hear the matter on Nov 9.
It wants the central government to “keep ready” the files about the decision to ban Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes when over 80 per cent of these notes were in circulation.
The demonetisation policy was announced in a sudden, late-evening address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Nov 8, 2016, as an “anti-corruption” measure.
The top court also wants the Centre and the Reserve Bank to file responses.
One of the chief questions the court wants to answer is whether the hearings will now be just an “academic” exercise after six years.
New high-value notes have since been put into the circulation even as people lined up for days to exchange the cancelled notes.
