New Delhi, Jan. 6: The Supreme Court has ruled that learner’s licence “is also a valid licence” and that insurance companies were liable to pay compensation in case of accidents by drivers having licences.

A division bench of Chief Justice V.. Khare and Just- ice S.B. Sinha in a judg- ment dismissed the petitions of two insurance compa- nies, National Insurance Corporation and the New India Assurance Company Limited.

In a case, the companies had appealed to the apex court that the driver in question was holding a learner’s licence and, therefore, they should not be levied any money as compensation apart from the one imposed on the errant driver.

Rejecting this argument, the judges ordered that the petitioner would be entitled to realise the amount of compensation as assessed from the driver of the offending vehicle.

The judges said, “we are not inclined to exercise the extraordinary jurisdiction (of the Supreme Court) under the Constitution”.

This judgment will play an important role in cases of accidents and compensation claims.