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Court rejects PIL on Speaker

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a public interest litigation petition for a declaration that an MP on being chosen Lok Sabha Speaker ceases to be a member of any political party and that this will be the law till the enactment of proper legislation.

The petition also sought a direction to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to withdraw all its adverse proceedings and decision expelling Speaker Somnath Chatterjee from the party.

Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, who along with Justices P. Sathasivam and Aftab Alam was on a Bench, told advocate-petitioner Lily Thomas:

“Whether [or not] the Speaker ceases to be a member of a political party is a parliamentary convention. There is no rule or law. We are not supposed to codify parliamentary privileges or conventions. Parliamentary privileges will continue to exist. If Parliament feels, it can appoint a committee to do anything in this regard. This court has no jurisdiction to declare parliamentary conventions a law.”

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