In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has overturned a 34-year-old precedent regarding industrial alcohol, reaffirming that states hold the right to legislate on liquor. This ruling, delivered on Wednesday, stems from the 1990 case involving Synthetics and Chemicals, which had previously favoured the Centre in a decision made by a seven-member constitutional bench.
The recent judgment came from a nine-member constitutional bench, which reversed the earlier decision with a majority ruling of 8:1. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, alongside Justices Hrishikesh Roy, Abhay S Oak, BV Nagaratna, JB Pardiwala, Manoj Mishra, Ujwal Bhuiyan, Satish Chandra Sharma, and Augustine George Masih, presided over the case. Notably, Justice BV Nagaratna dissented from the majority opinion.
During the judgment, Chief Justice Chandrachud stated, “The state cannot lose its right to enact laws on industrial alcohol. “States also possess the authority to legislate regarding the manufacture and supply of industrial alcohol.” The ruling clarifies that states have the legal power to regulate liquor consumption, reinforcing their jurisdiction over industrial alcohol, which is classified as liquor.
Following the Supreme Court’s order, all states now control the production and sale of various types of alcohol, marking a significant shift in the legislative landscape regarding liquor laws.