APEX COURT BEGINS HEARING PETITIONS AGAINST JALLIKATTU, BULLOCK CART RACES

A constitution bench in the Supreme Court commenced its hearing on the validity of the state laws allowing cultural events involving animals, such as bull-taming sport Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.

The five-judge bench, headed by Justice KM Joseph, went through the pertinent provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act and the amendment acts in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, allowing Jallikattu and bullock cart races, as senior advocate Sidharth Luthra opened the arguments on behalf of the petitioners. The bench is examining the legal questions referred to it by a two-judge bench of the apex court in February 2018.

Luthra started by calling the Tami Nadu law as a “colourable piece of legislation,” complaining that the state used the legislative power that obligates prevention of cruelty under the law to perpetuate cruelty. “Even if the presidential assent was given, they will have to show what materials were placed before the President...whether the principles laid down by the Supreme Court in the Nagaraj judgment (2014) were informed or not,” argued Luthra.

The bench will continue hearing the case on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government submitted its written submissions in the matter on Tuesday, calling Jallikattu a religious and cultural event does not violate the principles of compassion and humanism.