Supreme Court to begin hearing pleas over CAA from May 5, to wrap up in just 7 days

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday said that it will commence final hearings on May 5 for over 200 petitions, including the lead plea filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi issued procedural directions regarding the final hearings on the petitions, which have been pending since 2020.

The CAA sought to grant citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014.

The court said the final hearing of arguments will be held from May 5 to May 12, 2026.

The bench said it will hear the petitioners, including the lead petitioner IUML, for one-and-a-half days. The bench said it will then grant the Centre one full day to advance its arguments.

The court clarified the final hearing on the pleas will be concluded on May 12.

It asked the parties to file additional documents and submissions within four weeks.

The court also said it will hear the pleas related to pan-India application of the CAA first and then take note of the petitions pertaining to Assam and Tripura later.

The bench said Assam's problem is different from the rest of the country, as the earlier cut-off date for citizenship was March 24, 1971, which under the CAA was extended to December 31, 2014.

On March 11, 2024, the Centre notified the rules, paving the way for the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, four years after the contentious law was passed by Parliament.

The court had earlier declined to stay the amendment law and the rules framed thereunder.

As many as 237 petitions were filed before the court challenging validity of the CAA, 2019.