Lawmakers liable to be prosecuted if they receive bribes for votes, speeches: SC

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that lawmakers are liable to be prosecuted if they receive bribes for votes or speeches in the House. 

Overruling the judgment in the 1998 case, the Supreme Court said that bribery is not protected by parliamentary privilege and that legislators are taking bribes to vote or speech inside the House is absolute. The court has also said that immunity given now is only for free exchange of ideas in Parliament and that members in the House must be free from fear and favour from outside influence. 

In 1998, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled that MPs and MLAs have total immunity in all matters related to voting in the House, which meant that they were immune to prosecution even if they took bribes to cast a vote.