PHILLIPPA ANNE DUKE vs THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU & ORS.

The Supreme Court dismissed the writ petitions of two British nationals detained under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974, holding that their representations to the Central Government were not valid under Section 8 and 11 of COFEPOSA. The Court clarified that diplomatic communications, such as the Bout De Papier to the Prime Minister, do not constitute statutory representations. Furthermore, the Advisory Board's decision to deny legal representation was upheld, as it was within their discretion to determine the necessity of such representation.