Landmark Judgments Every Lawyer Should Know

Landmark Judgments Every Lawyer Should Know

100 Landmark Judgments in India

1. Constitutional Law

1. Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) – Basic Structure Doctrine.

2. Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975) – Free & fair elections part of basic structure.

3. Minerva Mills v. Union of India (1980) – Balance between Fundamental Rights & DPSPs.

4. Waman Rao v. Union of India (1981) – Judicial review of 9th Schedule post-Kesavananda.

5. I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007) – 9th Schedule laws subject to basic structure.

6. S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) – Limits on President’s Rule (Art. 356).

7. Kuldip Nayar v. Union of India (2006) – Open ballot system for Rajya Sabha valid.

8. State of West Bengal v. Union of India (1962) – States not sovereign, Parliament supreme.

9. R.C. Cooper v. Union of India (1970) – Fundamental rights must be read broadly.

10. Berubari Union Case (1960) – Presidential reference on ceding territory.

2. Fundamental Rights

11. A.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras (1950) – Preventive detention law upheld (narrow view).

12. State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan (1951) – First amendment after reservation issue.

13. Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978) – Due process; expanded scope of Art. 21.

14. Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corp (1985) – Right to livelihood under Art. 21.

15. Unni Krishnan v. State of Andhra Pradesh (1993) – Right to education as fundamental.

16. Mohini Jain v. State of Karnataka (1992) – Education fundamental to life.

17. Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015) – Sec 66A IT Act struck down.

18. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017) – Right to privacy fundamental.

19. Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (2018) – Sec 377 IPC partially struck down.

20. Joseph Shine v. Union of India (2018) – Sec 497 IPC (adultery) unconstitutional.

3. Emergency & Judicial Review

21. ADM Jabalpur v. Shivkant Shukla (1976) – Habeas corpus suspended in Emergency.

22. Indira Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975) – Election dispute & Emergency.

23. A.D.M. Jabalpur dissent of Justice HR Khanna – Liberty above the Constitution (later upheld).

24. K.S. Puttaswamy (2017) – Overruled ADM Jabalpur.

25. L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India (1997) – Judicial review part of basic structure.

4. Reservation & Social Justice

26. Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) – Mandal Commission; 27% OBC reservation; creamy layer.

27. M. Nagaraj v. Union of India (2006) – Reservation in promotion needs proof.

28. Jarnail Singh v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta (2018) – Modified Nagaraj; no quantifiable data required.

29. Ashoka Kumar Thakur v. Union of India (2008) – OBC reservation in higher education valid.

30. State of Kerala v. N.M. Thomas (1976) – Reservation in promotion justified.

5. Criminal Law

31. Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab (1980) – “Rarest of rare” doctrine for death penalty.

32. Machhi Singh v. State of Punjab (1983) – Expanded “rarest of rare” doctrine.

33. D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal (1997) – Guidelines on arrest & custody.

34. State of Maharashtra v. Praful Desai (2003) – Evidence via video conferencing valid.

35. Kartar Singh v. State of Punjab (1994) – TADA constitutional with safeguards.

36. Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts (2014) – Death sentence commuted for delay.

37. State of Punjab v. Baldev Singh (1999) – NDPS Act, rights of accused.

38. Sunil Batra v. Delhi Administration (1978) – Prisoners’ rights under Art. 21.

39. Maneka Gandhi principle applied in criminal trials – Fair trial part of life & liberty.

40. Selvi v. State of Karnataka (2010) – Narco-analysis & polygraph tests violate Art. 20(3).

6. Civil & Property Law

41. Ayodhya Title Dispute (2019) – Balanced title suit; Ram Mandir allowed.

42. State of Bihar v. Kameshwar Singh (1952) – Land reforms & compensation.

43. Bishan Das v. State of Punjab (1962) – Religious property protection.

44. K.T. Plantation v. State of Karnataka (2011) – Compensation not mandatory in all takings.

45. Kameshwar Prasad v. State of Bihar (1962) – Right to property restricted post-abolition.

7. Family Law

46. Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum (1985) – Maintenance for Muslim women under Sec 125 CrPC.

47. Danial Latifi v. Union of India (2001) – Muslim Women Act constitutional.

48. Shayara Bano v. Union of India (2017) – Triple Talaq unconstitutional.

49. Sarla Mudgal v. Union of India (1995) – Second marriage after conversion invalid.

50. Seema v. Ashwani Kumar (2006) – Compulsory registration of marriage.

8. Environmental Law

51. M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (Oleum Gas Leak, 1986) – Absolute liability principle.

52. M.C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath (1997) – Public trust doctrine.

53. Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum v. Union of India (1996) – Precautionary & polluter pays principles.

54. Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action v. Union of India (1996) – Environmental clean-up liability.

55. T.N. Godavarman v. Union of India (1997) – Expanded definition of forest.

56. M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (Ganga Pollution, 1988) – Closure of polluting tanneries.

57. Union Carbide v. Union of India (1989) – Bhopal Gas Tragedy, strict liability.

58. Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action (1996) – Hazardous industries liability.

59. Essar Oil v. Halar Utkarsh Samiti (2004) – Environmental clearance mandatory.

60. Narmada Bachao Andolan v. Union of India (2000) – Development vs. environment.

9. Labour & Service Law

61. Randhir Singh v. Union of India (1982) – Equal pay for equal work.

62. Daily Rated Casual Labour v. Union of India (1988) – Casual labourers’ rights.

63. State of Karnataka v. Umadevi (2006) – Regularisation of temporary employees restricted.

64. Secretary, State of Karnataka v. Uma Devi (2006) – No automatic absorption of contract workers.

65. Air India v. Nergesh Meerza (1981) – Gender discrimination in service conditions struck down.

10. Corporate & Commercial Law

66. Tata Consultancy Services v. State of Andhra Pradesh (2004) – Software is “goods.”

67. LIC of India v. Consumer Education & Research Centre (1995) – Right to health for employees.

68. Vodafone International Holdings v. Union of India (2012) – Tax avoidance v. evasion.

69. Reliance Natural Resources Ltd v. Reliance Industries Ltd (2010) – Gas pricing; government ownership.

70. BALCO v. Kaiser Aluminium (2002) – Arbitration law clarified.

11. Consumer Protection & Media Law

71. Indian Medical Association v. V.P. Shantha (1995) – Medical services under Consumer Act.

72. Spring Meadows Hospital v. Harjot Ahluwalia (1998) – Compensation for medical negligence.

73. Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (2017) – Data protection linked to privacy.

74. Sakal Papers v. Union of India (1962) – Freedom of press; price-page policy struck down.

75. Bennett Coleman v. Union of India (1973) – Newsprint policy unconstitutional.

12. Election Law

76. Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975) – Fair elections part of basic structure.

77. People’s Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India (2003) – Voter’s right to know (affidavits).

78. Union of India v. Association for Democratic Reforms (2002) – Disclosure of candidate info.

79. Lily Thomas v. Union of India (2013) – Disqualification of convicted MPs/MLAs.

80. Kuldip Nayar v. Union of India (2006) – RS elections by open ballot.

13. Miscellaneous Important Cases

81. Nilabati Behera v. State of Orissa (1993) – Compensation for custodial deaths.

82. Sunil Batra v. Delhi Administration (1978) – Prisoners’ rights.

83. Prem Shankar Shukla v. Delhi Administration (1980) – Handcuffing violates Art. 21.

84. Indian Express v. Union of India (1985) – Freedom of press & taxation.

85. Rajendra Prasad v. State of UP (1979) – Scope of death penalty.

86. Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar (1979) – Right to speedy trial.

87. Bandhua Mukti Morcha v. Union of India (1984) – Bonded labour eradication.

88. Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997) – Sexual harassment guidelines.

89. Aruna Shanbaug v. Union of India (2011) – Passive euthanasia permitted.

90. Common Cause v. Union of India (2018) – Right to die with dignity (living wills).

91. Shiv Kant Shukla v. ADM Jabalpur – (Reaffirmed liberty later).

92. Prakash Singh v. Union of India (2006) – Police reforms.

93. Jagmohan Singh v. State of UP (1973) – First case on constitutionality of death penalty.

94. Anuj Garg v. Hotel Association of India (2008) – Gender equality in employment.

95. Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala (1986) – Right not to sing National Anthem.

96. Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala (2018) – Sabarimala entry of women.

97. Municipal Council, Ratlam v. Vardichan (1980) – Duty of municipality to protect environment.

98. MC Mehta v. Union of India (Taj Trapezium, 1997) – Pollution control near Taj Mahal.

99. Hinsa Virodhak Sangh v. Mirzapur Moti Kuresh Jamat (2008) – Animal rights.

100. Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association v. Union of India (2015) – NJAC unconstitutional; judicial primacy in appointments.