SC perplexed over HC’s tobacco order

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Dec 23, 2017  : The Supreme Court on Friday was left clueless about the Karnataka High Court’s final verdict on the rules to increase graphic warnings on the wrappers of tobacco products to 85%.

 

Responding to a batch of petitions, challenging the December 15 high court order to set aside the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2008 (COTPA), a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul shot back: "What do we stay?"

"We don’t know the reasoning of the judgement. Let it be made available first," the bench said, asking the high court to upload its judgement on the website. The court put the matter for consideration on January 8.

Senior lawyer Anand Grover and advocate Aishwarya Bhati argued against the high court verdict to set aside the rules, requiring tobacco product sellers to blow up the graphic warnings up to 85% on the wrappers.

The high court’s quashing of the amendments would mean the pictorial warnings on tobacco product labels would go back to the previous requirement of 40%.

Many lose their lives to the hazardous effects of tobacco use, Aishwarya had pointed out, while Grover reminded the court that the rules to blow up graphic warnings have been in effect from April 1, 2016.

The apex court had received a batch of pleas, including the one by NGO Health for Millions, to stay the high court order.

Last May, the Supreme Court had transferred all the petitions challenging the amendment to COTPA to the Karnataka High Court for final adjudication.

All those petitions had been pending before various high courts.



courtesy:DHNS