SC Constitution bench to hear Aadhaar challenge on privacy issue

A five-judge constitution bench will hear from July 18 the challenge to validity of the controversial Aadhaar Act on the touchstone of privacy, an issue that has been pending for two years.

The bench would decide whether the right to privacy is a fundamental right -- a question central to the Aadhaar Act.

A bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said on Wednesday the five-judge bench would hear the matter for two days.

Khehar agreed to the hearing by the constitution bench after senior counsel Shyam Divan and Attorney General K.K. Venugopal mentioned the matter for an early hearing.

The question on the validity of Aadhaar scheme on the touchstone of whether privacy was fundamental right was referred to the constitution bench in October 2015.