The Court disposed of the 2003 N. Ravi reference after learning that the Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution behind it had been withdrawn in 2004.

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• On October 6, 2026, a seven-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant closed a reference pending since 2003 on the limits of legislative privilege.
• The Bench also comprised Justices Aravind Kumar, P.K. Mishra, Joymalya Bagchi, Vipul Pancholi, Shree Chandrashekhar and V. Mohana.
• The reference arose from N. Ravi v. Speaker, Legislative Assembly, Chennai, in which the Tamil Nadu Assembly initiated privilege proceedings against journalists of The Hindu.
• On November 7, 2003, the Assembly sentenced five journalists, including then Editor N. Ravi, to 15 days' simple imprisonment for breach of privilege.
• The Supreme Court stayed the arrest warrants in November 2003, and a five-judge Bench referred the matter to seven judges in December 2003.
• The central question was whether privileges of State legislatures under Article 194(3) can override the freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a), and how they interact with Article 21.
• The reference was needed because earlier rulings pulled in different directions on whether fundamental rights or legislative privileges prevail.
• The hearing was due to begin on October 6, but the Assembly's counsel informed the Court that the 2003 resolution had itself been withdrawn in 2004.
• The Court held the controversy had become infructuous, as the Chief Justice had said it would not undertake an academic exercise without a live dispute.
• The Bench expressly kept the larger legal questions open for decision in a future case with a live controversy.
• Comedian Kunal Kamra and journalists had sought to intervene, as breach-of-privilege proceedings against Kamra are pending before the Maharashtra Legislature.