Income Tax Settlement Commission's order can't be merit-reviewed by High Court under Article 226.

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Full Text of the Document

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....The High Court held that while exercising jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution, it does not assume the role of an appellate authority to conduct a merit review of orders passed by the Income Tax Settlement Commission. Its role is confined to judicial review by applying well-settled principles. The Court would be concerned with the decision-making process adopted by the Commission, not the decision itself. The scope of inquiry is limited to whether the Commission's order complies with statutory provisions of Chapter XIX-A of the Income Tax Act. The Court cannot decide on facts or interpretation of documents. A defect vitiating a settlement must vitiate the whole, not merely a part. A settlement partakes the nature of a negotiat.........