Kunal Kashyap vs Pr.Chief Commissioner Of Income Tax ... on 1 October, 2024
37. A special enactment or Rule, therefore, cannot be held to be
overridden by a later general enactment or simply because the latter
opens up with a nonobstante clause unless there is clear inconsistency
between the two legislations -- one which is later in order of time and
the other which is a special enactment. This issue came again for
consideration before the Hon'ble Apex Court in Chandra Prakash Tiwari
v. Shakuntala Shukla -- AIR 2002 SC 2322 and the Hon'ble Supreme
Court quoted with approval the Broom's Legal Maxim in reference to
two Latin Maxims in the following words: "It is then, an elementary
Rule that an earlier Act must give place to a later, if the two cannot be
reconciled - lex posterior derogate priori - non est novum ut priores
leges ad posteriors trahantur (Emphasis supplied) - and one Act may
repeal another by express words or by implication; for it is enough if
there be words which by necessary implication repeal it. But repeal by
implication is never to be favoured, and must not be imputed to the
legislature without necessity, or strong reason, to be shown by the
party imputing it. It is only effected where the provisions of the later
enactment are so inconsistent with, or repugnant to, those of the earlier
that the two cannot stand together2; unless the two Acts are so plainly
repugnant to each other that effect cannot be given to both at the
same time a repeal cannot be implied; and special Acts are not repealed
by general Acts unless there be some express reference to the previous
legislation, or a necessary inconsistency in the two Acts standing
together, which prevents the maxim generalia specialibus non derogant
(Emphasis supplied) from being applied. For where there are general
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words in a later Act capable of reasonable application without being
extended to subjects specially dealt with by earlier legislation, then, in
the absence of an indication of a particular intention to that effect, the
presumption is that the general words were not intended to repeal the
earlier and special legislation, or to take away a particular privilege of a
particular class of persons."