NEW DELHI: In the last 75 years, the Supreme Court often stepped in to protect the spirit of the Constitution. A handful of epochal rulings were far-reaching, never forgetting the human and liberal values at the core of our governance and jurisprudence. In Kesavananda Bharati, the Court said even Parliament could not change the core framework of the Constitution.
In the Maneka Gandhi case, its interpretation of Article 21 led to the institutionalisation of two principles that even today determine our approach to law: ‘Due process of law’ is about the government’s obligation to respect an individual’s legal rights. ‘Method established by law’ refers to the necessity to follow the correct procedure for the legislature to create a law.
The judgment in the Indira Nehru Gandhi Vs Raj Narain Case reinforced the rule of law when the hunger for power sought to undermine India’s democratic institutions. It added the rule of law, democracy (free and fair elections) and judicial review were added to the Constitution’s Basic Features. In the S R Bommai case, the Supreme Court laid down ground rules on Centre-State relations, clarifying that the States are not just appendices of a powerful Centre but a cog in the wheel of progress.
Some of the major cases:
19-05-1950: A.K Gopalan vs State of Madras
2 24-04-1973: Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala (Kesavananda Bharati Case)
28-04-1976: ADM Jabalpur vs Shivkant Shukla Case
25-01-1978: Maneka Gandhi vs Union Of India in 1977
28-08-1981: Air India v Nargesh Meerza, AIR 1981 SC 1829
06-12-1984: Indian Express Newspaper vs Union of India Case
16-12-1988: Kehar Singh vs Union of India Case - Pardoning power of the President of India under Indian Constitution
04-02-1993: SC ruling on constitutional validity of capitation fee
11-03-1994: SR Bommai vs. Union of India
24-10-1994: M Ismail Faruqui vs Union of India - Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid Land Title Case.
13-08-1997: Vishaka vs State of Rajasthan
22-08-2006: Kuldip Nayar vs Union of India
22-08-2006: Aruna Ramchandra Shaunbaug vs Union of India
19-10-2012: Medha Kotwal Lele vs Union of India - Court repeated the Vishaka Guidelines and stressed additional measures for their enforcement.
27-09-2013: NOTA judgment
15-04-2014: Recognising the Third gender
24-03-2015: Shreya Singhal vs Union of India
05-05-2017: Nirbhaya Case 2014
22-08-2017: Triple Talaq Judgment 2016
21-07-2018: A five-judge SC Constitution bench rejected the claim that the exclusion of women of a particular age is essential
09-11-2019: Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya dispute
06-09-2020: Supreme Court ruling on Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict A G Perarivalan’s mercy plea
17-02-2020: SC verdict permanent women commission in armed forces