Whether Adjudicating Authority Under PMLA Ought To Have One Judicial Member? Supreme Court To Consider

A Division Bench of the Supreme Court has passed an order directing that 6 cases, raising the issue whether Adjudicating Authority under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) ought to have one Judicial Member, be placed before the Chief Justice of India so that they can be listed before one Bench.

The order was passed by a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and AG Masih in a special leave petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate, assailing an order of the Sikkim High Court whereby modification of a direction to the Union of India to take steps for appointment of a Judicial Member to the AA was declined.

Pursuant to it being pointed out that similar issue is pending in 5 other cases before the Supreme Court, the bench of Justices Oka and Masih directed as follows:

"We direct the Registrar (Judicial) to place this SLP along with five other cases before Hon'ble the Chief Justice of India to assign the cases to one and the same Bench."

Case Title: THE JOINT DIRECTOR v. EASTERN INSTITUTE FOR INTEGRATED LEARNING IN MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY, SLP(Crl) No. 265/ 2024

Click here to read the order