Right to privacy case: Nine judge SC bench reserves order

The issue needs to be settled for it to hear petitions that challenge Aadhaar, the 12-digit biometric identity number which critics say violates privacy.

A nine judge Bench of the Supreme Court hearing a matter on whether the right to privacy is a fundamental right has reserved orders.

On July 26, the Centre told the apex court that there is a fundamental right to privacy, but is a 'wholly qualified right'.

The apex court had last week told the Centre that Right to Privacy is a fundamental right but not all its facets will be covered under it. The SC had said economic rights of citizens and provision for food and other essential items could never be a ground to undermine basic fundamental rights.

Attorney general KK Venugopal had earlier told the nine-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar, "there is a fundamental right to privacy, but it is a wholly qualified right since the right to privacy consists of various aspects and is a sub-species of the right to liberty, every aspect of it will not qualify as a fundamental right".

The issue needs to be settled for it to hear petitions that challenge Aadhaar, the 12-digit biometric identity number which critics say violates privacy.

The government wondered if the privacy rights of a select few "could destroy the rights of a large group of others", as it sought to link Aadhaar to the right to livelihood.

OneIndia News