Should the PIL jurisdiction be reconsidered?

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) emerged successful the 1970s arsenic a transformative judicial innovation aimed astatine widening entree to justness for the mediocre and the marginalised. This was achieved by relaxing the strict rules of lasting to licence typical actions, and by broadening the scope of judicial announcement to let courts to instrumentality suo motu cognisance of nationalist issues and person them into litigation. Over time, however, concerns person been raised astir the misuse of this jurisdiction. More recently, during the ongoing proceedings successful the Sabarimala notation case, the Union authorities has urged the Supreme Court to reconsider the PIL model altogether, citing the emergence of “agenda-driven litigation.” Should the PIL jurisdiction beryllium reconsidered? Anuj Bhuwania and Talha Abdul Rahman sermon the question successful a speech moderated by Aaratrika Bhaumik.

Anuj Bhuwania is prof of instrumentality and writer of Courting the People: Public Interest Litigation successful Post-Emergency India; Talha Abdul Rahman is an advocator based successful Delhi