'Citizenship Status Must Be Determined Through Fair Process': Supreme Court Sets Aside Foreigner Declarations By Assam Tribunals

The Supreme Court on Monday underscored that the determination of citizenship and foreigner status must be carried out through a "fair, lawful and reasonable" process, while setting aside judgments of the Gauhati High Court that had upheld declarations of 27 appellants as foreigners.A Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta allowed 27 appeals and remanded the cases to the concerned Foreigners Tribunals for fresh adjudication, holding that the issue of citizenship carries profound constitutional significance and must be decided in accordance with the requirements of fairness."Citizenship and foreigner status occupy a field of high constitutional and legal significance," the Court observed.At the same time, the Court acknowledged the State's interest in preventing illegal claims to Indian citizenship."The State has a legitimate and compelling interest in ensuring that persons who are not legally entitled to claim Indian citizenship do not secure such status by misuse of process, by false…