30 landmark Judgments in India
SL No.
1
2
Year
1951
1960
Name
Champakam Dorairajan Vs State of Madras
Issue
Result
Admissions of backward classes to
Pilot the first-ever
educational institutions led by B.R.
amendment to the
Ambedkar, then the law minister.
Constitution
Commander K M Nanavati Vs
The crime of passion, where
State of Maharashtra
Commander Kawas Maneckshaw Nanavati murdered murdered his wife's lover, lover,
Marked the end of jury trials in India when the officer was let off.
The Supreme Court made fundamental rights immune from 3
1967
Golaknath Vs State of Punjab
amendment until Parliament Parliament reasserted its authority in 1971 by amending Articles Articles 13 and 368 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court rejected a 1970
4
1970
Madhav Jiwaji Rao Scindia Vs Union
presidential order abolishing abolishing titles,
of India 1970
privileges and privy purses purses of India's erstwhile princely rulers. The Supreme Court laid down that such amendments could not
5
1973 th
24 April
Kesavananda Bharati Vs State of Kerala
In 1971, 19 71, Parliament empowered
destroy the 'basic
itself to amend any part of the
structure' of the
Constitution.
Constitution-fundamental rights is part of the 'basic structure'.
It dealt with a common citizen's 6
1973
right
to
hold
Himmat Lal Shah Vs Commissioner
public meetings on streets
of Police
and the extent to which the state could regulate this right.
7
1975
Indira Gandhi Vs Raj Narain
Indira Gandhi declared Emergency
The Supreme Court later overturned
after being ordered by t he Allahabad
The Supreme Court later
the decision.
High Court to vacate her seat for
overturned the decision.
malpractice. The Supreme Court declared the right to move court under Articles 14, 21 8
1976
A.D.M. Jabalpur Vs S. Shukla
and 22 would remain suspended during the Emergency. The court ruled that th e
9
1978
Maneka Gandhi Vs Union of India
The case caused a huge uproar over the definition of freedom of speech
procedure must be fair and the law must not violate other fundamental rights. The Supreme Court again applied the 'basic structure' theory, saying
10
1980
Minerva Mills Vs Union of India
that social welfare laws could not curb fundamental rights. The case led to the resignation of K.
11
1981
Rajan Case
Involving the torture and death of a
Karunakaran, then the
final year engineering student in
home minister, and
custody in Kerala,
imprisonment of the officers accused. Though the death sentence
Administration Kehar Singh was 12
1984
Kehar Singh Vs Delhi
accused of taking part in the murder of Indira Gandhi.
was upheld by the Supreme Court, its accuracy has often been questioned.
Caused a furore as the 13
1985
Shah Bano Case
The case, related to the issue of Muslim personal law,
court awarded Shah Bano a maintenance allowance after divorce.
The case dealt with the subject of 14
1988
Ramesh Dalal Vs Union of India
pre-Partition communal violence, and how its depiction was not in violation of Constitutional articles. The Supreme Court upheld the implementation of recommendations made by the Mandal
Indira Sawhney Vs Union of India 15
1992
Commission. It also
1992
defined the "creamy layer" criteria and reiterated that the quota could not exceed 50 per cent.
15
16
1992
1994
The identity of St. Stephen's College
The court ruled that grants
St. Stephen's College Vs University
as a minority-run institution was put
could not change the
of Delhi
under the scanner as it was receiving
minority character of an
grant-in-aid from the Government.
institution.
The case questioned the
The Supreme Court
Constitutional validity of the
upheld status quo on the
acquisition of a certain area
disputed structures.
Babri Masjid, Ayodhya Case
adjoining the disputed site. The case laid down the guidelines in proving a 17
1994
S.R. Bommai Vs Union of India
majority under Article 356. The recent Arjun Munda case judgment was also passed with reference to the Bommai case.
The case decided that the right to privacy subsisted even if a matter became 18
1994
R. Rajagopal Vs State of Tamil Nadu
one of public record. The right to be let alone is part of personal liberty.
The Supreme Court held that a second marriage 19
1995
solemnised while the first
Sarla Mudgal Vs Union of India
existed was a punishable offence, though it did not become null and void. The association was banned for unlawful
20
1995
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Vs Union of
activities. However, the
India
decision was reversed due to lack of evidence. The case, which dealt with the
Ministry of I&B Vs Cricket 21
1995
Association of Bengal
broadcast of the Hero Cup, was the first tussle involving the t elecast of an international event by a private broadcaster. For the first time, sexual harassment, including sexually coloured remarks and physical contact, was explicitly and legally
22
1997
Vishaka Vs State of Rajasthan
defined as an unwelcome sexual gesture. It stated that every instance of sexual harassment is a violation of fundamental rights.
The Supreme Court said government land, tribal land, and forest land in scheduled areas could not be leased to non-tribals or 23
1997
Samatha Vs State of AP
private companies for mining or industrial operations. Such activity can only be done by tribal people or by a government undertaking.
K.P.S. Gill, former chief of Punjab Police, was fined Rs 2.5 lakh in lieu 24
1998
Rupan Deol Bajaj Vs K. P. S. Gill
of three months' rigorous imprisonment for slapping senior IAS officer Rupan Deol Bajaj on the posterior. The judgement of a three-member Bench ordered candidates
25
2002
Representation of the People
contesting elections to
(Amendment) Act
declare their assets and all criminal cases pending against them at the time of filing of nominations. The first case involving conviction
26
2004
Tamil Nadu Vs Suhas Katti
under the Information Technology Act, 2000, related to the posting of obscene messages on the Internet. The Supreme Court stated that "neither the policy of reservation can be
27
2005
P.A. Inamdar Vs State of
enforced by the state nor
Maharashtra
any quota of admissions be carved out in private educational institutions".
In a severe deterrent to incidents of rape, the Supreme Court held that a rape accused could be 28
2006
Om Prakash Vs Dil Bahar
convicted on the sole evidence of the victim, even if medical evidence did not prove rape. The controversial trial ended with the conviction
29
2006
Best Bakery Case
The case related to 14 deaths in an
of nine people. A retrial
arson attack on the Best Bakery in
was ordered in 2004 after
Vadodara in 2002
a local court acquitted all 21 accused.
