JAIRAM RAMESH Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND ORS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) C M No. 9551/2019 (for exemption) Exemption allowed subject to all just exceptions. Application stands disposed of.

(2.) It was the submission of Mr. P. Chidambram, learned Senior Counsel appearing for the petitioner that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 ('PML Act' in short) was enacted on January 17, 2013 for the purposes of preventing the offence of money laundering and the confiscation of property derived from such offence. Before the year 2015, the Act was amended on various occasions through Ordinary Bills as defined under Article 109 of the Constitution of India. However, from the year 2015 most amendments to the PML Act have been enacted via Finance Acts as 'Money Bills', defined under Article 110(1) of the Constitution.

(3.) According to him, a Money Bill is deemed to be such if it contains only provisions dealing with all or any of the matters under (a) to (g) of Article 110(1). In other words, a Money Bill is restricted only to the specified matters and cannot include within its ambit any other matter. In support of his submission, he had drawn our attention to page 62 of the petition, which is an information given to the applicant, who sought information under Right to Information Act.