Sunday, May 5, 2013

Article 13 (4) of Constitution of India void

Original Constitution as it stood in 1950

AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION

368. An amendment of this Constitution may be initiated only by the introduction of a Bill for the purpose in either House of Parliament, and when the Bill is passed in each House by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting, it shall be presented to the President for his assent and upon such assent being given to the Bill, the Constitution shall stand amended in accordance with the terms of the Bill:

Provided that if such amendment seeks to make any change in-
(a) article 54, article 55, article 73, article 162 or article 241, or
(b) Chapter IV of Part V, Chapter V of Part VI, or Chapter I of Part XI, or
(c) any of the Lists in the Seventh Schedule, or
(d) the representation of States in Parliament, or
(e) the provisions of this article,

the amendment shall also require to be ratified by the Legislatures of not less than one-half of the States specified in Parts A and B of the First Schedule by resolutions to the effect passed by those Legislatures before the Bill making provision for such amendment is presented to the President for assent.

After amendment to 368:

368. Power of Parliament to amend the Constitution and procedure
therefor.

(1) Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution,
Parliament may in exercise of its constituent power amend by way of
addition, variation or repeal any provision of this Constitution in
accordance with the procedure laid down in this article.]

(2) An amendment of this Constitution may be initiated only by
the introduction of a Bill for the purpose in either House of
Parliament, and when the Bill is passed in each House by a majority of
the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than
two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting, _352[ it,
shall be presented to the President who shall give his assent to the
Bill and thereupon] the Constitution shall stand amended in accordance
with the terms of the Bill:

Provided that if such amendment seeks to make any change in-

(a) article 54, article 55, article 73, article 162 or article 241, or

(b) Chapter IV of Part V, Chapter V of Part VI, or Chapter I of Part
XI, or

(c) any of the Lists in the Seventh Schedule, or

(d) the representation of States in Parliament, or

(e) the provisions of this article, the amendment shall also require to be ratified by the Legislatures of not less than one-half of the States _353*** by resolutions to that
effect passed by those Legislatures before the Bill making provision for such amendment is presented to the President for assent.

(3) Nothing in article 13 shall apply to any amendment made under this article.

(4) No amendment of this Constitution (including the provisions of Part III) made or purporting to have been made under this article [whether before or after the commencement of section 55 of the Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976] shall be called in question in any court on any ground.

(5) For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that there shall be no limitation whatever on the constituent power of Parliament to amend by way of addition, variation or repeal the provisions of this Constitution under this article.



Article 13 as it stood originally in 1950

13. (1) All laws in force in the territory of India immediately before the commencement of this Constitution, in so far as they are inconsistent with the provisions of this Part, shall, to the extent of such inconsistency, be void.

(2) The State shall not make any law which takes away or abridges the rights conferred by this Part and any law made in contravention of this clause shall, to the extent of the contravention, be void.

(3) In this article, unless the context otherwise requires,--

(a) "law" includes any Ordinance, order, bye-law, rule, regulation, notification, custom or usage having in the territory of India the force of law;
(b) "laws in force" includes laws passed or made by a Legislature or other competent authority in the territory of India before the commencement of this Constitution and not previously repealed, notwithstanding that any such law or any part thereof may not be then in operation either at all or in particular areas.

Article 13 after amendments

13. Laws inconsistent with or in derogation of the fundamental rights.- (1) All laws in force in the territory of India immediately before the commencement of this Constitution, in so far as they are inconsistent with the provisions of this Part, shall, to the extent of such inconsistency, be void.

(2) The State shall not make any law which takes away or abridges the rights conferred by this Part and any law made in contravention of this clause shall, to the extent of the contravention, be void.

(3) In this article, unless the context otherwise requires,-

(a) "law" includes any Ordinance, order, bye-law, rule, regulation,
notification, custom or usage having in the territory of India the
force of law;
(b) "laws in force" includes laws passed or made by a Legislature or
other competent authority in the territory of India before the
commencement of this Constitution and not previously repealed,
notwithstanding that any such law or any part thereof may not be then
in operation either at all or in particular areas.

(4) Nothing in this article shall apply to any amendment of this Constitution made under article 368.

This is how government created power for Parliament to do anything with Constitution including making amendments to Fundamental rights (Part III) by inserting Article 13(4)., when Article 13(2) clearly says :

2) The State shall not make any law which takes away or abridges the rights conferred by this Part and any law made in contravention of this clause shall, to the extent of the contravention, be void.

Hence Article 13(4) is void, because that clause takes away or abridges the rights conferred by Part III Fundamental rights and the Amendment Act made inserting Article 13(4) is in contravention with the Clause 13(2).  Hence not only 13(4), all laws made subsequently with the help of 13(4) are also void.

Hence all Judgments delivered by all Courts including Supreme court of India, based on Laws made with the help of insertion of Article 13(4) are also void.

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