Judicial Review, Activism & PIL

📚 This topic is part of the national Constitution — read our full, in-depth write-up: Judicial Review, Activism & PIL →

📖 Quick summary

Judicial review (Articles 13, 32, 226, 245) rests on the Constitution's supremacy over Parliament. In Kesavananda Bharati (1973), a 13-judge bench held Parliament's Article 368 amending power cannot destroy the Constitution's "basic structure." Public Interest Litigation, pioneered by Justices Bhagwati and Krishna Iyer, relaxed the rule of locus standi, letting any public-spirited citizen approach the courts on behalf of those who cannot.

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💡 Key Facts

Kesavananda Bharati (1973) established the Basic Structure doctrine.
PIL relaxed locus standi; pioneers were Justices Bhagwati and Krishna Iyer.
Hussainara Khatoon (1979) is regarded as the first major PIL.

🔖 60-Second Revision

Judicial review = check on unconstitutional laws/actions.
Basic Structure doctrine limits Parliament's amending power; PIL widened access to courts.