Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that judges and lawyers are no experts to examine the suitability or effectiveness of the economic or financial policy decisions of the government and suggest alternatives.
The apex court stated that lawyers and judges ordinarily do not have domain knowledge in these fields. “Economic and fiscal regulatory measures are a field where judges should encroach upon very warily as they are not experts in these matters,” said the bench.
The comments were made by a bench of Justice Ashok Bhushan, Justice R S Reddy, and Justice M R Shah. The three-judge bench rejected the petitions seeking to increase the span of the economic packages announced last year by the Union government to provide relief to pandemic hit economic activities.
“What is best in the national economy and in what manner and to what extent the financial reliefs/ packages be formulated, offered and implemented is ultimately to be decided by the government and RBI on the aid and advice of the experts,” Justice Shah said.
He further added, “These are exclusively within the province of the central government. Such matters do not ordinarily attract the power of judicial review.”
The bench noted that what is for the court to examine is the legality of the policy and not the wisdom or soundness behind it.
