Judicial Activism
in
Post-Emergency Era
Judicial Activism
in
Post-Emergency Era
Dr. Deka Swapna Manindranath
Notion Press
5 Muthu Kalathy Street, Triplicane,
Chennai - 600 005
First Published by Notion Press 2015
Copyright © Dr. Deka Swapna Manindranath 2015
All Rights Reserved.
ISBN: 978-93-84391-44-7
This book has been published in good faith that the work of the author is original. All
efforts have been taken to make the material error-free. However, the author and the
publisher disclaim the responsibility.
No part of this book may be used, reproduced in any manner whatsoever without
written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical articles and reviews.
Dedicated to
The memory of my beloved parents, Mrs. Rani Deka and
Dr. Manindranath Deka who devoted their entire life to give me
happiness and make my life comfortable and enhancing
my academic excellence.
To my dear husband Dr. R. Chandra Brahma and
adorable daughter Nikita for their constant support
and sacrifice in making this book a reality.
Preface
Judicial activism has been observed under different constitutions of
the world. A debate has triggered among jurists about the necessity or
unnecessary of such phenomenon. India is no exception. Judicial activism
has also been observed under the scheme of the Indian Constitution and
it has also raised a debate. The main issues are whether judicial activism
is judicial overreach or there is a myth about judicial overreach. What are
the areas of such judicial activism or judicial overreach? If it is judicial
activism, what is the need of judicial activism under the scheme of the
Indian Constitution? If it is judicial overreach, what should be the limits for
curbing an overreach?
The above issues are the theme of the present book which was officially
registered as a research topic under the title ‘Constitution of India and
Judicial Activism in Post– Emergency Era’ for a PhD degree of the Gauhati
University. The book has been divided into seven chapters.
The first chapter is an introduction to the phenomenon of Judicial
Activism. The second chapter discusses the phenomenon of Judicial
Activism under different constitutions through a brief comparative study.
The third chapter discusses Judicial Activism in India through historical
perspective. The fourth chapter discusses the study of Judicial Activism in
India during the post-emergency era. The fifth and the sixth chapters are
a continuation of the discussion on Judicial Activism in India during the
post–emergency era. The seventh chapter draws conclusion from the whole
study.
Acknowledgments
This book grew out of my doctoral thesis in Law at Gauhati University. I
am extremely grateful and indebted to my supervisor, Dr. Bhaskar Kumar
Chakravarty, B.Sc. (Honours), LL.M., PhD, Professor, Department of Law,
Gauhati University, Guwahati for his able guidance, insightful suggestions,
tremendous inspiration and unending support and encouragement in
course of the execution of my research study inspite of his preoccupation
with onerous academic responsibilities and assignments.
I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude to the other
faculty members of the Department of Law, Gauhati University for their
constant encouragement, kind cooperation and valuable suggestions in the
completion of the thesis which ultimately has come out in the form of a
book.
I am thankful to the staff of the library of Department of Law, Gauhati
University, Guwahati, Faculty of Law, Delhi University (North Campus),
Delhi, National Law University, New Delhi, the Indian Law Institute (ILI),
New Delhi, the Gauhati High Court Library, Guwahati and the library of
Assam Administrative Staff College and Dispur Law College for allowing
me to use their libraries for my research study.
I shall fail in my duty, if I do not record my indebtedness and appreciation
to my parents, husband, daughter Nikita for their constant inspiration and
sacrifice without which the completion of this research and a book would
not have been possible.
List of Abbreviations
AC
A.D.M.
A.F. of L
A.G.
AIR
AIR D AJ ALJ All E.R. ALJR – Law Reports, Appeal Cases
– Additional District Magistrate
– American Federation of Labour
– Attorney General
– All India Reporter
– All India Reporter, Delhi Series
– Alberta Judgments
– Allahabad Law Journal
– All England Law Reports
– Allahabad Law Journal Reporter, Australian Law
Journal Reports
A.P. – Andhra Pradesh
A.P.S.R.T.
– Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport
AR
– Alberta Reports
Art.
– Article
Aust L.J
– Australian Law Journal
AWAG – Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group
BLD
– Bangladesh Legal Decisions
BNA
– British North America Act
Bom HCR
– Bombay High Court Reports
B VerfGe
– Sammlung Der Entscheidungen Des
Bundesverfassungsgerichtsentscheidung
(Federal Constitutional Court Reports (German))
CA
– Quebec Official Reports, Court of Appeal
CBI – Central Board of Investigation
xii | List of Abbreviations
CC
CEDAW
Cf.
C.J.I CLR
Co. Rep COFEPOSA CP
Cr.
CRI, L.J Cr L Rev Cr. P C DLR
EPW ed.
Ed Eds Eng Rep ER Fed GLR GUJL HL How Hyd Ibid IBR ICCPR I.C.J.
– Constitutional Council of France
– Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women
– Compare/ consult
– Chief Justice of India
– Calcutta Law Reporter
– Coke’s King’s Bench Reports
– Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of
Smuggling Activities Act
– Common Pleas
– Criminal
– Criminal Law Journal of India
– Criminal Law Review
– Criminal Procedure Code
– Dominion Law Reports
– Economic and Political Weekly
–Edition
– Editor
– Editors
– English Reporter
– English Reports (Eng)
– Federal
– Gujarat Law Reporter
– Gauhati University Journal of Law
– Clark & Finnelly’s House of Lords Reports New Series
– Howard’s Supreme Court Reports
– Hyderabad
– Latin, short for ibidem, meaning “the same place”
– Indian Bar Review
– International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
– International Court of Justice
List of Abbreviations | xiii
Inc., IPC IR IRC IRQB Ir. R. J
JC JILI JJ KB KULR
Lawasia L.Ed LJQB Loc. cit LR MISA NALSA N.L.R.B. Op. cit p.
pp.
P.C. PC PG PIL
PLD Prof.
QB Ref –
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Incorporation
Indian Penal Code
Irish Reports
Internal Revenue Code
Irish Reports Queen’s Bench
Irish Law Reports
Judge
Justiciary Cases
Journal of Indian Law Institute
Judges
Law Reports, King’s Bench Division
Kashmir University Law Review
Law Association for Asia and the Pacific
Lawyer’s Edition,United States Supreme Court Reports
Law Journal Queen’s Bench
Abbreviation for the Latin loco citato means “in the
place cited”
– Law Reports
– Maintenance of Internal Security Act
– National Legal Services Authority
– National Labour Relations Board
– Abbreviation for the Latin opus citatum, meaning “the
work cited”
–Page
– Pages
– Law Reports, Privy Council Appeal Cases
– British & Colonial Prize Cases
– Post Graduate
– Public Interest Litigation
– Pakistan Legal Decisions
–Professor
– Law Reports Queen’s Bench
– Reference
xiv | List of Abbreviations
RTE
S. Ct. SC SCC
SCC (Jour) SCJ
SCR S.C.R. SAL
TLR UCC U.K. UNDP UNESCO U.S. Vol. v. Wheat WIDER – Right to Education
– Supreme Court Reporter (Supreme Court of the
United States)
– Supreme Court
– Supreme Court Cases
– Supreme Court Cases (Journal)
– Supreme Court Journal
– Supreme Court Reports
– Supreme Court Reports (Supreme Court of Canada)
– Social Action Litigation
– Times Law Reports
– Uniform Civil Code
– United Kingdom
– United Nations Development Programme
– United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
– United States Supreme Court Reports
– Volume
– Versus
– Wheaton’s Supreme Court Reports
– World Institute of Development Economics Research
Table of Cases
A
A.D. M. Jabalpur v. Shivkant Shukla AIR 1976
SC 1207: (1976) 2 SCC 521
A.F. of L v. American Sash and Door Co. (1949)
335 U.S. 538, 555 120
53
A.G. for Alberta v. A.G. for Canada (1939) AC 117 (130)
46
A.G. Ontario v. Reciprocal Insurers (1924) AC 328 (345)
46
A.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras AIR 1950 SC 27
6, 71, 72
A.R. Antulay v. R.S. Nayak AIR 1988 SC 1531
30
A.S. Krishna v. State of Madras AIR 1957 SC 298
84
Abbot v. City of St. John (1908) 40 SCR 597
44
Abdul Rehman v. Pinto AIR 1951 Hyd. 11
69
Adelaide Co v. Jehovah’s Witnesses (1943) 67 CLR (159 – 60)
47
Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group (AWAG) v.
Union of India AIR 1997 SC 3614
140
Air India v. Nargeesh Meerza AIR 1981 SC 1829
142, 143
Airlines of N.S.W. v. N.S.W. 113 CLR 54
Ajay Hasia v. Khalid Mujib Sehravardi AIR 1981 SC 487
Akhil Bharatiya Shosit Karmachari Sangh (Railway) v.
Union of India AIR 1981 SC 298
Ameerunnissa Begum v. Mahboob Begum AIR 1953 SC 91
48
191
165, 202,198
69
Anwar Hussain Chowdhury v. Bangladesh 1989 BLD (SP1) 1
102, 224
Apparel Export Promotion Council v. A.K.
Chopra AIR 1999 SC 625
144, 145
xvi | Table of Cases
Arif Hameed v. State of Jammu and Kashmir AIR 1989 SC 1899
20
Arti Sapru v. State of J & K AIR 1981 SC 1009
192
Aruna Roy v. Union of India AIR 2002 SC 3176
202
Ashok Kumar Pandey v. State of West Bengal (2004) 3 SCC 349
171
Atiabari Tea Co .v. State of Assam AIR 1951 SC 232 23, 89
Attorney General for Ontario v. Attorney General for
Canada (1896) AC 348 (P.C.) 44
Australian Building Construction Employees
Ex – Parte (1974) 48 ALJR 42 (43)
46
Automobile Transport Ltd., v. State of Rajasthan AIR 1962 SC 1906
23, 90 Azad Rickshaw Pullers Union v.
State of Punjab AIR 1981 SC 141
177
B
B. Sakarama v. Assistant Commissioner Kundapur D.K.
AIR 1992 Knt. 364
B.C. Motor Vehicle Act (1985) 2 SCR 486
Bandhua Mukti Morcha v. Union of India AIR 1984
SC 802: (1984) 3 SCC 161 175
45
162, 164
Bashesher Nath v. Income Tax Commissioner AIR 1959 SC 149
159
Bennet Coleman and Co. v. Union of India AIR 1973 SC 106
67
Bhan Ran v. Baijnath AIR 1962 SC 1476
139
Bihar Legal Support Society v. Chief Justice of India
(1986) 4 SCC 767
163
Bonham’s case (1610) 8 Co. Rep. 114 (118)
Brij Bhushan v. State of Delhi AIR 1950 SC 129
33, 39, 222
61
Brown v. Board of Education 347 U.S. 483 (1954) 7, 52, 68,156 Buckley and Others (Sinn Fein) v.
Attorney General and Another (1950) Ir R. 56
Bush v. Gore 121 S Ct 525 (2000)
181
Table of Cases | xvii
C
C.B. Muthamma v. Union of India AIR 1979 SC 1868
141
Calcutta Gas Co. v. State of West Bengal AIR 1962 SC 1044:
(1963) 1 SCJ 106 162
Champakam Dorairajan v. State of Madras AIR 1951 SC 226
61
C. Jagadeeswar v. State of Andhra Pradesh (1988) Cr L J 549
148
Chiranjit Lal v. Union of India AIR 1951 SC 42
64
Common Cause v. Union of India (1996) 1 SCC 753
(Blood Bank cases)
175
Consumer Education and Research Centre v.
Union of India (1995) 3 SCC 42
176
D
D.C. Mills v. Commissioner of Income Tax,
West Bengal AIR 1955 SC 55
24
D.C. Wadhwa v. State of Bihar AIR 1987 SC 579:
(1987) 1 SCC 378
171, 174
D.L.F. Universal Ltd., v. Prof A Lakshmi Sagar (1998) SCC 1
183
D.V. Bakshi v. Union of India (1993) 3 SCC 662; AIR 1993 SC 2374
194
Death Penalty Case (1948) Hanreishu II 3(191)
57
Delhi Domestic Working Women’s Forum v.
Union of India (1995) 1 SCC 14
167, 176
Delhi Laws Act Case AIR 1951 SC 332
23
Dr. Priti Srivastava v. State of Madhya Pradesh AIR 1999 SC 2894
Dred Scott v. Stanford 60 U.S. 393 (1856)
193
7, 50
E
E.P. Royappa v. State of Tamil Nadu AIR 1974 SC 555;
(1974) 4 SCC 3
69, 186, 189
Edmonton Journal v. Alberta (Attorney General)
[1989] 2 SCR 1326
46
xviii | Table of Cases
Edwards v. Attorney General for Canada (1930) AC 124 (PC)
46
Emperor v. Sadashiv Narayan Bhalerao AIR (34)1947 PC 82
62
Emperor v. Sibnath Banerjee AIR (32) 1945 PC 156
62
F
Fairfax v. Commr. Taxation (1965) 114 CLR 1(7)
48
Fertilizer Corporation Kamgar Union v. Union of India
(1981) 2 SCR 52: AIR 1981 SC 344
160
Francis Coralie v. Mullin v. Administrator
Union Territory of Delhi AIR 1978 SC 597 125
G
Gaurav Jain v. Union of India AIR 1997 SC 3021
General Manager, S Railway v. Rangacharee AIR 1962 SC 36
Gian Kaur v. State of Punjab AIR 1996 SC 1257
176
76
150
Gompers v. United States (1914) 233 U.S. (604/610)
11
Guifoyle v. Home Office (1981) AER 943 (947) (CA)
38
H
H. H. Maharajadhiraj Madhav Rao Jivaji Rao Scindia Bahadur
& others v. Union of India AIR 1971 SC 530 Hill v. East & West India Dock Co. (1884) 9 AC 488 (495) (HL)
96, 97, 98
12
His Holiness Swami Kesavananda Bharati Sripadagalvaru v.
State of Kerala 1973 SC 1461 7, 98, 99, 100, 101, 103, 104, 195
Huddart Parker v. Moosehead (1908) 8 CLR 330
50
Hussainara Khatoon v. Secretary, State of Bihar (1980) 1 SCC 81:
AIR 1979 SC 1360
159
I
I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu AIR 2007 SC 861
21
Ichikawa v. Japan (1961) 15 Keishu 7 (1106)
57
Table of Cases | xix
Indian Council for Enviro–Legal Action v.
Union of India (1996) 3 SCC 212
175
Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain AIR 1975 SC 2299 107, 108,202, 207
Indra Sawhney v. Union of India AIR 1993 SC 477
174,192,197
Islamic Academy of Education v.
State of Karnataka AIR 2003 SC 3724
134
J
Jagjit Singh v. State AIR 1954 Hyd. 28
69
James v. Commonwealth of Australia 1936 AC 578 (614)
13
Janata Dal v. H.S. Chowdhari (1992) 4 SCC 305
174
Jatish Chandra Ghosh (Dr.) v. Hari Sadhan Mukherjee
AIR 1961 SC 613
81
Jiwan Mal Kochar v. Union of India (1984) 1 SCC 200
173
Joginder Kumar v. State of U.P. (1994) 4 SCC 260
176
Judges v. A.G. (1937) 53 TLR 464 (PC)
43
K
K. Veeraswami v. Union of India (1991) 3 SCC 655
K.C. Ganapati Narayan Dev v. State of Orissa, AIR 1953 SC 375
K.C. Vasanth Kumar v. State of Karnataka AIR 1985 SC 1495
209
85
194
K.C.G. Narayan Dev v. State of Orissa AIR 1953 SC 375
44
Keshavan Madhava Menon v. State of Bombay AIR 1951 SC 128 64
Kharak Singh v. State of U.P. AIR 1963 SC 1295
Kihota Hollohan v. Zachilhu and others (1992) 1 SCC 309 Kovas v. Cooper, (1949) 336 U.S. 77, 95
Krishna Swami v. Union of India (1992) 4 SCC 605
73, 74
198
56
175
L
L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India AIR 1997 SC 1125
L.C. Golak Nath v. State of Punjab AIR 1967 SC 1643
197
7, 28, 91
xx | Table of Cases
Lakshmi Kant Pandey v. Union of India (1984) (I) SCC 244
167
Lakshmi Kant Pandey v. Union of India (1987) (I1) SCC 667
167
Lee v Bude & Torrington Rly Co. (1871) LR 6 CP 577 (582)
34
Leleigh Valley Coal Co. v. Ulensavage 281 Fed 517(522)
11
Lila Dhar v. State of Rajasthan AIR 1981 SC 1777
194
Lily Thomas etc. v. Union of India and others AIR 2000 SC 1650
140
Liversidge v. Anderson (1942) AC 206
37
Lochner v. New York (1905) 198 U.S. 45
6, 7
M
M. Nagraj v. Union of India AIR 2007 SC 71
159, 198
M.C. Mehta v. State of Tamil Nadu AIR 1997 SC 699:
(1996) 6 SCC 756
126, 127
M.C. Mehta v. Union of India AIR 1987 SC 1086:
(1987) 4 SCC 463
168, 169
M.C. Mehta v. Union of India AIR 1991 SC 417
(Vehicular pollution cases)
167
M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (1998) 8 SCC 711: AIR 1998 SC 186
(Toll Tax of Taj Case)
175
M.C. Mehta v. Union of India AIR 1997 SC 735
(Pollution of Taj Mahal)
176
M.C. Mehta v. Union of India AIR 1998 SC 2340:
(1998) 6 SCC 60, 63
175
M.R. Balaji v. State of Mysore AIR 1963 SC 649
70
M.S.M. Sharma v. Sri Krishna Sinha AIR 1959 SC 395
80
M/s Western electronics v. State of Maharashtra AIR 1989 SC 621 86
Makhan Singh Tarsikka v. State of Punjab AIR 1964 SC 381
Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India
AIR 1978 SC 597 Marbury v. Madison (1803) 1 Cr 137
Mc Culloh v. Maryland (1819) 4 Wheat 316
74, 75
27, 57, 119, 120, 122,186, 189
11, 39, 49
13
Judicial Activism
in
Post-Emergency Era