The Supreme Court has declined an invitation to meet the parliamentary committee examining the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ laws.

The joint committee, chaired by BJP MP P. P. Chaudhary, had sought an informal meeting on October 6 with the Chief Justice of India and senior judges to discuss the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024. The committee has since told members the meeting is cancelled.

In a formal communication, the court’s secretary general said senior judges had deliberated on the request and agreed it would be neither expedient nor desirable to discuss the amendments informally, given the high chance the law could later face judicial review.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal had criticised the proposed meeting as a violation of the separation of powers, saying such an interaction had never happened before.

The committee is examining the 129th Amendment Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, which aim to hold Lok Sabha and state assembly elections together. It says it has already consulted former chief justices and retired judges.