Show cause notice timelines under GST face scrutiny over whether minimum adjudication intervals are mandatory jurisdictional safeguards.
The six-month notice interval under Section 74(2) of the CGST Act is under examination as a potentially mandatory jurisdictional limitation or a directory procedural timeline. The provision requires a show cause notice to be issued at least six months before the outer deadline for an adjudication order under Section 74(10). The competing views turn on whether statutory silence on the consequence of breach permits non-compliance, or whether the interval protects natural justice by ensuring meaningful time for reply and hearing. The issue remains unsettled, with interim protection operating in the reported proceedings. (AI Summary)
The six-month notice interval under Section 74(2) of the CGST Act is under examination as a potentially mandatory jurisdictional limitation or a directory procedural timeline. The provision requires a show cause notice to be issued at least six months before the outer deadline for an adjudication order under Section 74(10). The competing views turn on whether statutory silence on the consequence of breach permits non-compliance, or whether the interval protects natural justice by ensuring meaningful time for reply and hearing. The issue remains unsettled, with interim protection operating in the reported proceedings. (AI Summary)
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