Union of India & Anr. v. M/s Meghmani Organics Ltd. & Ors.
Background
This judgment answers a question of law; it does not decide the case itself. A batch of anti-dumping matters was referred to a three-judge bench on one question: whether the reading of Rule 7 of the Anti-Dumping Rules in the earlier decision in Reliance Industries Ltd. v. Designated Authority wrongly diminished the rule of confidentiality protecting information submitted to the Designated Authority. Counsel confined their arguments to that question.
Decision Breakdown
This is not a final judgment in the case itself. The Court examined Rule 7, the underlying GATT 1994 provisions and the Reliance Industries and Sterlite Industries decisions, and reconciled the two precedents instead of finding a conflict. It held that Rule 7 does not empower the Designated Authority to claim confidentiality over its own reasons and findings, as opposed to information actually supplied by a party. It did not decide the facts of the appeal and directed that the cases be posted before an appropriate Bench for disposal on merits.
Lesson Learnt
There is no final ruling yet on the appeal itself. The point settled is that in anti-dumping investigations the Designated Authority can protect only information genuinely supplied in confidence by a party, not its own findings or reasons.